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Lead Poisoning Should be Leading News
Burning dirty coal releases toxins that poison our brains, impair intelligence, increase impulsivity, and even contribute to crime waves.
Lead poisoning only occasionally pops up in the news. The FDA recalls tainted squeeze packets of applesauce. Residents of Flint, Michigan are forced to rely on bottled water because of lead water mains. Marijuana users get sick from weed laced with lead. Consumers of boutique dark chocolate are frightened by tests revealing high levels of lead and cadmium. Endangered California Condors die after ingesting too much lead shot.
Lead, a particularly dense but soft and inert metal that forms compounds with vibrant, stable colors, has a number of modern uses. It has also been recognized as a poison for more than two millennia. One of the most substantive health achievements of the US environmental movement has been the dramatic nationwide reduction in lead exposure through bans on lead paint and gasoline, and changes in plumbing.
But lead poisoning hasn’t simply been relegated to a small and sporadic issue. It isn’t just a problem of the past. Many old buildings still contain lead paint, and many municipalities still rely on lead pipes. Unbeknownst to many, burning coal, and mining and refining metals still…
