Eric would like to debate the ethics of styrofoam use.
The first thing I did was go to Webster's and looked up the word
"ethics". It defines it as:
Ethics- that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human
conduct,
with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions
and the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.
Eric stated:
>I don't get why you are willing to support the use of styrofoam,
>when it is just these kinds of materials that make people (and
>other things) sick.
First of all, I do not support the use of styrofoam. I find it
unconscionable to use styrofoam cups, plates, food containers, etc. I
feel the same about these items being made of paper.
Second, in all my study and trying to find an insulating material that
would work under footings and concrete foundations, I have not found
anything other than BlueBoard that will work.
Motive of using BlueBoard:
The improvement of my health and personal living conditions.
Ends of Blueboard use:
A certain amount of pollution in it's manufacture, but styrofoam itself
is a fairly stable and non-toxic material, especially when buried and
away from UV light which degrades it. As Kathryn wrote in her May 2nd
email, she had her floors replaced with a waterproof membrane and
styrofoam insulation and now she burns less fuel, so the insulation
will continue to save the environment thru the reduction in heating (
and possibly cooling) costs over the life of the house. With the
reduction in mold formation there will be no need to use chemicals to
kill mold, which means a further reduction in pollution. With a
reduction in humidity gain within the house from ground humidity there
will be less need for using a dehumidifier which saves electricity and
thus reduces pollution further. Mold contamination of indoor air is
becoming a huge problem causing illness even in those people not
allergic to mold, for example, Legionnaire's Disease ; so thus reducing
mold also reduces the use of drugs to treat disease which are polluting
our water supply thru sewage as these drugs are not removed in water
treatment plants.
In balancing out the pollution formed in the manufacture of BlueBoard
with the reduction in pollution thru it's use I see a net positive gain
in favor of the environment. This makes the use of BlueBoard in this
case an eco-ethically good choice, in my opinion.
>I keep trying to discuss ethics and all I get back is an education
>on chemical sensitivity.
The education in chemical sensitivity helps to make an informed ethical
discussion possible. How can you discuss motive without knowing the
motives of the person wanting to use a item you have objections to?
Dawn
P.S. When I lived in Florida I found that cockroaches like to eat
styrofoam, so I would never put styrofoam where it was not sealed away.
Molds exist everywhere, especially on the ground as they are part of
Mother Nature's recycling process. Go in the woods anywhere and you will
find fallen branches in the process of being composted by molds and
bugs. Here is an experiment you can do if you live in a damp area. Take
a fresh piece of wood from the lumberyard and place it on your poach, in
a few weeks to months you will find mold starting to grow on it. Wood
will get moldy whenever there is enough moisture available. In fact,
molds will grow on plastic and metal as anyone who owns a refrigerator
knows. The moisture that forms on the gasket and metal door comes from
the temperture difference and then you get mold.
