Ban Dihydrogen monoxide and other chemicals

There is an old joke about "activists" getting people to sign a petition against a dangerous chemical called dihydrogen monoxide.

the webpage has many other terrible facts about this dangerous chemical

 Should I be concerned about Dihydrogen Monoxide? Yes, you should be concerned about DHMO! Although the U.S. Government and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not classify Dihydrogen Monoxide as a toxic or carcinogenic substance (as it does with better known chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and benzene), DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances, diseases and disease-causing agents, environmental hazards and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

 Research conducted by award-winning U.S. scientist Nathan Zohner concluded that roughly 86 percent of the population supports a ban on dihydrogen monoxide....

. A similar study conducted by U.S. researchers Patrick K. McCluskey and Matthew Kulick also found that nearly 90 percent of the citizens participating in their study were willing to sign a petition to support an outright ban on the use of Dihydrogen Monoxide in the United States.

Why haven't I heard about Dihydrogen Monoxide before? Good question. Historically, the dangers of DHMO, for the most part, have been considered minor and manageable. While the more significant dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide are currently addressed by a number of agencies including FDA, FEMA and CDC, public awareness of the real and daily dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide is lower than some think it should be....

 What are some of the dangers associated with DHMO?

Each year, Dihydrogen Monoxide is a known causative component in many thousands of deaths and is a major contributor to millions upon millions of dollars in damage to property and the environment.

Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are: Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities. Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage. Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects. DHMO is a major component of acid rain. Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns. Contributes to soil erosion. Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals. Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits. Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes. Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions. Given to vicious dogs involved in recent deadly attacks. Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas of the southeastern U.S. Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.

the list goes on.

and as most chemistry majors know, it is a joke, because dihydrogen monoxide is....water.

Improbable research links to Professor James Kennedy, who has devised posters/ illustration of other dangerous chemicals found in.... natural food.

ah yes, better living with chemistry.

and his website contains an essay explaining how all your "natural" food isn't natural, but is the result of 6000 years of manipulation by farmers.

of course, I should talk: We sell organic brown rice. No chemicals. healthier? Probably (vitamin B and all that) but more labor intensive, lower yields and too expensive for the poor to buy, not to mention all that methane released by flooding to destroy weeds naturally, instead of using herbicides.

If I seem ambivalent, it is because my religion is not the green religion, nor is it modern globalism. I figure we need both, and my problem is that activists prefer to be extreme and shout the sky is falling (send money) instead of seeing reality.