samimgreen: I would imagine that since they haven't pursued this continuously then they would lose the libel case. See "Xerox".

Actually, they have. That's why it's capitalized in the article (trademark). I also recall them (and this may be urban legend stuff, as it was back in the 80's and I was young) suing the EPA for making claims about Styrofoam's harmful effects on the environment (as opposed to citing polystyrene, and thus making it out as if their product was bad, while not mentioning competitor's products).

READY.... SET... FEARMONGER!!!


mister aj: This reminds me of the BS McDonalds coffee case. Summary: Stupid biatch SPILLS coffee on herself, gets scalded and sues McDonalds for serving their coffee HOT, oh noes. Conclusion: She asked for and WON about $million. Typical American justice nowadays.

No doubt the same kind of lawyering scum will be going after polystyrene cups now.

People should really have a good look at the science before publishing this kind of fearmongering article... just as you should look at the McDonald's coffee case details before ridiculing the defendant for being stupid (when you read what actually happened the case doesn't seem quite so outlandish).

And regarding the jab they throw in at the polycarbonate water cooler bottles: I'd be more concerned about what's in the unregulated untested water that they put in the bottle than about any toxins leaching into it from the bottle itself.

I drink tap water out of polycarbonate, or plastic, or whatever else I have handy myself...

The FDA just issued a statement two days ago that this isn't the case. Of course, it isn't likely that their statement will make much of an impact because it's much more fashionable to be frightened.

FDA statement (no pop)

samimgreen: she was as sexual as she was crazy...

Funny how that seems to often be the case.

The Angry Hand of God: This is why I drink my morning coffee from the skull of a 12 year old virgin.

You know there are atleast 3 usable holes in that skull...

My coffee cup says "Made in China" on the bottom and always seems to develop this grey film or dust on it. Should I be concerned?

If I could get my coffee injected directly into my veins then we wouldn't have this problem.

just_another_farker: If I could get my coffee injected directly into my veins then we wouldn't have this problem.

I think you forgot about the needle... it would be all infected with AIDS and shiat.

ChubbyTiger: samimgreen: she was as sexual as she was crazy...

Funny how that seems to often be the case.

No funny at all actually...

/okay, maybe a little...give me another year...

damn, I used to chew on styrofoam cups. On a related note, I no longer use my Nalgene bottle (partly because I lost it) because I read that although the use of cold water has a low rate of bisphenol-A leakage, when you add boiling water (as many mountain climbers do) that rate jumps up about 55%. I bought a Camelbak water bottle that does not use Bisphenol-A and that has been working just fine (still a clear hard plastic bottle).

Oh also, the concern over Bisphenol-A is that it has been shown to mimic the function of estrogen. I find it funny that the author of this article would make the immediate jump to "it causes cancer" without that explanation.

just_another_farker: If I could get my coffee injected directly into my veins then we wouldn't have this problem.

Pretty close:

Kaiser442: just as you should look at the McDonald's coffee case details before ridiculing the defendant for being stupid (when you read what actually happened the case doesn't seem quite so outlandish).

McDonalds also said during discovery that, based on a consultants
advice, it held its coffee at between 180 and 190 degrees fahrenheit to maintain optimum taste.
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm ^{(^)}

The National Coffee Association recommends coffee be brewed at "between 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction" and drunk "immediately". If not drunk immediately, it should be "maintained at 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit."
http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=71 ^{(^)}

A McDonald's consultant pointed out the 700 cases in 10 years represents just 1 injury per 24 million cups sold!
http://www.stellaawards.com/stella.html ^{(^)}

So, what did McDonald's do wrong again?

That's why I drink mine straight from the pot. No pesky pouring or cancer cups involved.

/jus' doin' my part to save the environment.

samimgreen

My ex and I often refered to oral in either direction as BJs. It made any kind of bet for things like pool, what the temperature the next day was going to be, who was right, whatever, a lot easier. "Bet ya a BJ." One of her few cool ideas...

Hell yeah! I never had much fun gambling until my girlfriend and I came up with this.

ArcadianRefugee: [on topic]

Notice how the article mentions polystyrene (the substance) and then repeatedly uses the brand name Styrofoam. I wonder if there is a libel case in that? I mean yes, Styrofoam is polystyrene, but it's kind of like saying "Beef is bad for you" and then repeatedly saying "Don't eat at McDonald's", "Don't eat at McDonald's" and singling them out from there competitors.

I was more distracted by the fact that the article uses the following phrase twice: "says Paul McRandle, deputy editor of The Green Guide, published by National Geographic."

I'm thinking McRandle may have typed up this little article and sent it to the station to "report".

Wait, wasn't there a book featuring a chapter about this kind of thing?

Manta537: Skinny23: not to be mean, but what doesn't cause cancer these days?

BJs. Spread the word!

Sorry (^) - I'm afraid they do.

mister aj: This reminds me of the BS McDonalds coffee case. Summary: Stupid biatch SPILLS coffee on herself, gets scalded and sues McDonalds for serving their coffee HOT, oh noes. Conclusion: She asked for and WON about $million. Typical American justice nowadays.

No doubt the same kind of lawyering scum will be going after polystyrene cups now.

Have you actually read that case file? The issue was not that she was stupid and spilled it. The coffee was so hot that it burned through the BOTTOM of the cup, severely scalding her. I think this was on a recent FARK thread, but I'm sure you already knew that.

joe stranger: samimgreen

My ex and I often refered to oral in either direction as BJs. It made any kind of bet for things like pool, what the temperature the next day was going to be, who was right, whatever, a lot easier. "Bet ya a BJ." One of her few cool ideas...

Hell yeah! I never had much fun gambling until my girlfriend and I came up with this.

That is an awesome idea! I'm totally stealing that.

Hal5423: Oh also, the concern over Bisphenol-A is that it has been shown to mimic the function of estrogen. I find it funny that the author of this article would make the immediate jump to "it causes cancer" without that explanation.

I got slammed the last time I talked about this, but what the hell, I'm a glutton for punishment...

If mimicing estrogen is "bad", then what does that make estrogen? Bad also, right?

In fact, estrogen is a cancer causing agent. It's right on the IARC list of carcinogenic agents.

You know what else contains lots and lots of estrogen?

Birth control pills.

So, should they be banned too?

Whatever you do, don't like at this list:

IARC Monograph
(new window)

because, well, everything you like is on that list.

carmody: If this was true, everybody in America would be riddled with cancer at this point.

But if you still insist on freaking out, just drink out of ceramic and spare yourself the palpitations.

America does have a high cancer incidence rate.

joe stranger: samimgreen

My ex and I often refered to oral in either direction as BJs. It made any kind of bet for things like pool, what the temperature the next day was going to be, who was right, whatever, a lot easier. "Bet ya a BJ." One of her few cool ideas...

Hell yeah! I never had much fun gambling until my girlfriend and I came up with this.

Being fairly competitive, this actually took the competiveness away as I felt I was winning no matter what...But sometimes, you just wanna win, ya know?

Ewwwww, coffee out of a styrofoam. I'd rather drink it out of a shoe.

Yet another good reason to carry a travel mug if you regularly drink coffee away from home and work. I use one of these



Works great, leakproof, keeps the coffee hot for hours.

is this like that whole "cigarettes are bad for you" urban myth?

/lights up

VaticDart: Ewwwww, coffee out of a styrofoam. I'd rather drink it out of a shoe.

Yet another good reason to carry a travel mug if you regularly drink coffee away from home and work. I use one of these

Works great, leakproof, keeps the coffee hot for hours.

Yeah, but you gotta clean those.

/oh, man... too much work!

SlothB77: we will all die eventually.

Some slower than others though, eh, Sloth?

samimgreen: Yeah, but you gotta clean those.

Tell me about it! So much easier to just drop the polystyrene cup wherever you are when you finish the coffee.

/ahem

Starbucks coffee cup lid? #6 PS plastic. YUM!

samimgreen:

Yeah, but you gotta clean those.

/oh, man... too much work!

Respect your coffee and respect your character: drink your coffee black.

Then you just rinse a travel mug out once a day or so.

ArcadianRefugee: samimgreen: Yeah, but you gotta clean those.

Tell me about it! So much easier to just drop the polystyrene cup wherever you are when you finish the coffee.

/ahem

So you find them too light to throw at anything, too?

/Maybe we could add some weight to them or make them more aerodynamic somehow...
//aher

Well that's just great. I've been drinking my coffee out of styro cups for the past 15 years. So basically I have, what, 6 more months to live now?

VaticDart: samimgreen:

Yeah, but you gotta clean those.

/oh, man... too much work!

Respect your coffee and respect your character: drink your coffee black.

Then you just rinse a travel mug out once a day or so.

Ick, no, sweeten and lighten mine, please. Like you've never dressed up before in a cheerleader outfit before going to the club. I don't shave my legs, though. Real men don't.

Skinny23: not to be mean, but what doesn't cause cancer these days?

One of the stories of our generation will be hormone disruption, cancer, and all sorts of weird-shiat problems because of the use of and prevalence of various chemicals. The mental, physical, and emotional well-being of us all, as well as the health of our environment, is still being compromised for profit on a massive scale.

I sincerely hope that the precautionary principle can be implemented in a big way in this country.

As for the story:

Styrene molecules can migrate from your coffee cup into your coffee at a rate as high as 0.025 percent per use.

...if you ingest things out of Styrofoam cups and containers four times a day for about three years, you'd have eaten the equivalent of an entire take-out cup.

Styrene mimics estrogen in the human body. It could possibly contribute to hormone problems, thyroid problems, breast cancer and prostate cancer. The WHO recognizes styrene as a carcinogen.

idrow: Well that's just great. I've been drinking my coffee out of styro cups for the past 15 years. So basically I have, what, 6 more months to live now?

can I have your stuff?

/dibs

samimgreen: VaticDart: samimgreen:

Yeah, but you gotta clean those.

/oh, man... too much work!

Respect your coffee and respect your character: drink your coffee black.

Then you just rinse a travel mug out once a day or so.

Ick, no, sweeten and lighten mine, please. Like you've never dressed up before in a cheerleader outfit before going to the club. I don't shave my legs, though. Real men don't.

Wait, that was you? Fark all! I knew it was too good to be true.

samimgreen: idrow: Well that's just great. I've been drinking my coffee out of styro cups for the past 15 years. So basically I have, what, 6 more months to live now?

can I have your stuff?

/dibs

i call the stereo

"I'll kill you with my tea cup."

Skinny23: not to be mean, but what doesn't cause cancer these days?

Plastic water bottles! Wait, no ....

Open_Mouth_Inert_Foot: samimgreen: idrow: Well that's just great. I've been drinking my coffee out of styro cups for the past 15 years. So basically I have, what, 6 more months to live now?

can I have your stuff?

/dibs

i call the stereo

I call the computer and "video" collection...

Holy crap, polystyrene is bad for you? Welcome to Nineteen-farking-eighty.

samimgreen: Open_Mouth_Inert_Foot: samimgreen: idrow: Well that's just great. I've been drinking my coffee out of styro cups for the past 15 years. So basically I have, what, 6 more months to live now?

can I have your stuff?

/dibs

i call the stereo

I call the computer and "video" collection...

You'll all get nothing and like it. I'm looking on Google right now for a way to take it all with me.

Yes, yes... everyone panic. It isn't as if a site called "The Green Guide" would have any sort of... I dunno... bias in this case, right?

Lots of "maybe" and "possible" in the article. I call unobjectivity, if not outright consumer manipulation.

idrow: samimgreen: Open_Mouth_Inert_Foot: samimgreen: idrow: Well that's just great. I've been drinking my coffee out of styro cups for the past 15 years. So basically I have, what, 6 more months to live now?

can I have your stuff?

/dibs

i call the stereo

I call the computer and "video" collection...

You'll all get nothing and like it. I'm looking on Google right now for a way to take it all with me.

How about if I just help you carry it.

I gave up styro because of choking sea turtles....wait that might have been helium balloons...crap I forget. But the point is that I am sticking to killing sea life thru sport fishing and lawn chemical runoff.

I can kill you with my brain.

fun with A: I can kill you with my brain.

You've poisoned it enough with those drugs. And you've had three puffs so pass it on before I stamp your face so hard I leave an imprint..

Skinny23: not to be mean, but what doesn't cause cancer these days?

Me