Will toxin detection (without a license) soon become ILLEGAL??

[Lorien]

Sensor Deprivation


By STEVEN CHILLRUD, GREG O’MULLAN and WADE McGILLIS
Published: January 30, 2008

AT the suggestion of the federal Department of Homeland Security, New York City Council members have drafted legislation requiring anyone who has or uses a detector that measures chemical, biological or radioactive agents to get a license from the Police Department.
The purpose of the bill is to reduce unwarranted anxiety and damage from false alarms of terrorist attacks. Proponents say police officers need to know where detectors are and make sure they’re reliable. But the bill, which appears to be the first of its kind in the country and a model for other cities, could stifle the collection of environmental information vital to the public good.

The problem is that the bill as written would cover all “environmental sensors,” and in the extreme interpretation even laboratory analyses, used by students, teachers, researchers, activists, unions and many other groups. Their work has far more to do with ecology, education, public health and worker safety than with terrorism. These sensors allow them to measure things like greenhouse gases in order to document air pollution.

There are many examples of nongovernmental groups collecting important environmental data based on laboratory analyses. Indeed, the original identification of PCB contamination of the Hudson River did not come from the government but from a study by Sports Illustrated magazine that included data on striped bass collected from the river by a private citizen, Robert H. Boyle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/opinion/30omullan.html?ex=1202360400&en=561307b035a76f34&ei=5070&emc=eta1

[mainegreen]

1. No thermometers or rulers for you!

And rip those eyes out as well.
And that nose... I believe it detects chemicals. Cut it off!

[lonestarnot]

2. What are they gona do for a penalty?

cut off heads?

[bbgrunt]

3. what about carbon dioxide sensors in the home? Radon meters?

this legislation sounds very unnecessary and ominous.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Smoke detectors? Carbon monoxide detectors? Radon detectors?

:shrug:

[alfredo]

5. This is bullshit. I bet they make it almost impossible or very expensive

to get a license. Protect polluters at all cost.

[Lorien]

6. Bingo. With all the toxic products being shipped to us from overseas

more and more people are buying their own home testing kits. Some of the biggest toy recalls were started by mothers who found high levels of lead while testing their kid's toys at home. The corporate elite are searching for a way to put an end to that. :grr:

[alfredo]

7. We have our framing of the issue.

[Lorien]

8. Unfortunately we don't have an issue unless

the Mainstream media decides that it's one. :-(

[Karenina]

9. K&R!

:kick:

[alfredo]

10. We make it an issue. Get enough voices and they will have to listen.

[Lorien]

11. Kick

for the evening DUers.