Posted by Racer on July 6, 2004, at 14:21:24
We needed to get *everyone* involved here again, so here's a new topic to get us started:
Unexpected Consequences
This subject has been much on my mind lately, for a variety of reasons, but it seems as if every time I open a magazine or read the newspaper or turn on the TV news, something related to it comes up. Obviously, since the topic itself is on my mind, I'm gonna be more aware of anything related to it, but I'm wondering what other people are seeing that fits into this catagory -- funny or serious, trivial or profound -- and if anyone has any Stunning Wisdom to offer on any subject within the Solar System of Unexpected Consequences.
Here are a couple of examples I've seen recently that fit into the catagory, just to get us started:
1. New "Clean Water" regulations to reduce chlorine in tap water have been very successful in reducing the chlorine coming out of the faucets in the Northeastern US. The lead levels, though, have risen dramatically. Seems the new process used to reduce the chlorine has dissolved the lead scales in the lines coming off the mains, which has created dangerously high levels of lead in the drinking water.
2. In San Jose, CA, there's an ordinance governing trees on the sidewalks: they gotta be male trees, because female trees are too messy with dropping their seeds. The UC? Pollen levels in the environment are over the top, with an epidemic of allergic reactions and a real asthma problem taking the area by surprise. Male trees don't drop their seeds -- they puff pollen all over the place instead.
3. After the Mad Cow problems in Europe, in an effort to reduce the risk to the food supply, some sheep ranchers over there are breeding flocks of sheep that are genetically immune to scrapie. UC? They're much, much more susceptible to BSE (Mad Cow). Now, there's no evidence whatsoever that scrapie poses any risk to humans who are exposed through eating sheep products. Heheheh, BSE, on the other hand...
So, add your own, and offer any thoughts you have, and if I get inspired, I'll add some more and some of my own thoughts -- and I'll try very, very hard not to bring Wittgenstein into it, promise.
poster:Racer
thread:363508
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/2000/20040626/msgs/363508.html