This is a little test I have for you all you, to see just how savvy you are in the chemistry department. My teacher gave us this article today, and we told us to write a short essay on whether we agreed or disagreed with the notion of banning this compound. I've re-typed the entire thing, but luckily it's not too long. Read through the whole thing, every last statement, and then decide what you think of this material they speak of.
Quote:
BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE!
Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
Dihydrogen monoxide:
- is also known as hydorxl acid, and is the major component of acid rain
- contribues to the "greenhouse effect"
- may cause severe burns
- contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape
- accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals
- may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes
- has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.
Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in also every stream, lake and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic Ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the midwest, and recently California.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
- as an industrial solvent and coolant.
- in nuclear power plants.
- in the production of styrofoam.
- as a fire retardant.
- in many forms of cruel animal research
- in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
- as an additive in certain "junk foods" and other food products.
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. There impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation". In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use
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So, what's your opinion, should it be legal to have this chemical in our hands? Or should it be banned?
Find out below
Spoiler (Highlight to read):
If you said that it should be banned, then you either don't know chemical prefixes, or you just want the world to end. Dihydrogen Monoxide is simply a fancy way of saying "Water". That's all it is, Water, H20 with the special chemic prefixes of Di and Mono, two atoms of Hydrogen, one atom of oxygen.
I swear, only two kids out of 25 in my entire class figured out what the article was really about, even I hadn't realized it until my teacher told us, and we flipped out because we had been tricked. How'd you guys do?
