Reminds me of Chaplain Tappman peeing heavy water in Joseph Heller's Closing Time. Whenever I read a story like this I can't help but think that things are improving when it comes to treatment of employees and how much value we put on human lives vs progress.
Wikipedia says five died. But that's why I mention this. Today, it is possible that no one would have died or been injured but the project would probably take ten times as long and cost ten times as much. Partly due to the modern infrastructure which seeks to minimize all risk.
The additional time and expense devoted to safety isn't without it's own costs.
Except, if building sites are allowed to do that, it could quickly become the norm for all building sites. Suddenly, for you to get any work at all, you have no choice.
> Today, it is possible that no one would have died or been injured but the project would probably take ten times as long and cost ten times as much.
It took eleven years for One World Trade Center to exceed the height of the Empire State Building; it took over 13 years for it to open. Granted, it's a larger, more complex building—but still, that's a remarkably long time.
Human life simply isn't priceless: it's obviously not worth $1 trillion to save a random person. Nor is it worthless: it's obviously worth 50¢ to save almost anyone. Somewhere in between, there's an economic balance. I recall reading that from numerous estimates of the value that people place on their own lives (through insurance purchases, risk ratios when pursuing various activities &c.) that we tend to value our lives at about $1.5-2 million.
A safety regulation which costs significantly more than that to save one life is, quite literally, not worth it.
Construction began on One world trade Center in 2006 add 13 years and that's 2019.
Construction of below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the new building began on April 27, 2006On May 10, 2013, the final component of the skyscraper's spire was installed, making the building, including its spire, reach a total height of 1,776 feet (541 m).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center#Plannin...
PS: Now, if you want to start the clock from the first idea we might want a new building (Sept 11, 2001) then the Empire State Building also took a lot longer than 1.5 years.
The bit about lung cancer and cigarette smoking being more relevant to their cause of death is very likely true - they will likely have had more radiation exposure, never mind chemical, from smoking than from their entire nuclear careers.
Cigarettes produce leave polonium and lead 210 in your lungs - which, while "only" an alpha emitter, being already inside your body has plenty of opportunity to do damage. Smoking a pack a day is about the equivalent of having a CT scan every day, due to the cumulative buildup of radioactive gunk in your lungs.
I assume these are naturally occuring in the tobacco, as I can't see any reason that polonium or lead would be added to cigarettes. Does marijuana smoke contain similar radioactive components?
So yeah, weed probably does have similar components, but if there's one thing in its favour, weed is an expectorant - far less crap sticks around in your lungs than with tobacco.
Get yourself a vape... I was on 60 a day 3 months ago, got myself a kanga KBOX mini and haven't looked back - lovely thick clouds of fog, feels like smoking a pipe, hits the nicotine spot nicely.
Still coughing up the black-lung, but it's getting better.
It's vaporizing the nicotine, not burning. But I do agree that the pro-vape crowd gives vaping a lot more credit than is due. It's certainly not as harmless as they make it out to be. The Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerine is probably harmless enough, but there's also burnt cotton or fiberglass, built up gunk, and none of the flavors are tested for inhalation. Nobody in the industry has any oversight.
That being said, if someone is smoking, vaping is definitely a good idea. A good setup will make it much easier to stop smoking.
Agreed on all points - I don't intend to vape long term, I've stepped down from 9mg to 6mg to 3mg nicotine oils over the last three months - and plan to drop the nicotine altogether in a few months, and then quit vaping sometime after.
I'm effectively using it to decouple the physiological and psychological addictions so I can treat them independently of one another.
Hell, it can't be worse than smoking - or for that matter taking a tube ride, or being in an underground car park... Or being in a place with fog machines - propylene glycol too.
Also don't get burnt cotton with this sucker unless you run it totally dry - wick is always wet, and I run with a low wattage.
Tried quitting previously with a little kanga and while it filled the nicotine cravings, I still lusted for the feel of thick smoke - ended up failing. Not even missing cigarettes this time.
Not even really having to think about quitting either, it's just happening.
Vaping was the only way that worked for me. I smoked cigarettes for 20 years and tried patches, nicotine gum, lozenges, and medications. Vaping did it. I worked my way down from 24mg and eventually stopped a few weeks after I had been on 0mg.
I have ZERO desire to ever smoke again. It's been about 4 years now and I'm still not (nor ever plan to be) an asshole ex-smoker telling other people to quit. Cigarette smoke still smells delicious though and I tell smokers when I'm near enough to smell it:)
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[ 4.2 ms ] story [ 69.6 ms ] thread"The same is not true for others [...] the people the U.S. government secretly injected with plutonium."
The additional time and expense devoted to safety isn't without it's own costs.
It took eleven years for One World Trade Center to exceed the height of the Empire State Building; it took over 13 years for it to open. Granted, it's a larger, more complex building—but still, that's a remarkably long time.
Human life simply isn't priceless: it's obviously not worth $1 trillion to save a random person. Nor is it worthless: it's obviously worth 50¢ to save almost anyone. Somewhere in between, there's an economic balance. I recall reading that from numerous estimates of the value that people place on their own lives (through insurance purchases, risk ratios when pursuing various activities &c.) that we tend to value our lives at about $1.5-2 million.
A safety regulation which costs significantly more than that to save one life is, quite literally, not worth it.
almost?
Construction began on One world trade Center in 2006 add 13 years and that's 2019.
Construction of below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the new building began on April 27, 2006 On May 10, 2013, the final component of the skyscraper's spire was installed, making the building, including its spire, reach a total height of 1,776 feet (541 m). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center#Plannin...
PS: Now, if you want to start the clock from the first idea we might want a new building (Sept 11, 2001) then the Empire State Building also took a lot longer than 1.5 years.
Cigarettes produce leave polonium and lead 210 in your lungs - which, while "only" an alpha emitter, being already inside your body has plenty of opportunity to do damage. Smoking a pack a day is about the equivalent of having a CT scan every day, due to the cumulative buildup of radioactive gunk in your lungs.
So yeah, weed probably does have similar components, but if there's one thing in its favour, weed is an expectorant - far less crap sticks around in your lungs than with tobacco.
Still coughing up the black-lung, but it's getting better.
That being said, if someone is smoking, vaping is definitely a good idea. A good setup will make it much easier to stop smoking.
I'm effectively using it to decouple the physiological and psychological addictions so I can treat them independently of one another.
Hell, it can't be worse than smoking - or for that matter taking a tube ride, or being in an underground car park... Or being in a place with fog machines - propylene glycol too.
Also don't get burnt cotton with this sucker unless you run it totally dry - wick is always wet, and I run with a low wattage.
Tried quitting previously with a little kanga and while it filled the nicotine cravings, I still lusted for the feel of thick smoke - ended up failing. Not even missing cigarettes this time.
Not even really having to think about quitting either, it's just happening.
I have ZERO desire to ever smoke again. It's been about 4 years now and I'm still not (nor ever plan to be) an asshole ex-smoker telling other people to quit. Cigarette smoke still smells delicious though and I tell smokers when I'm near enough to smell it:)
Good luck. I don't think you'll have a problem.