this post was submitted on 16 May 2025
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A Boring Dystopia

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It seems I shouldn't have posted this without context

TL;DW

  • yes the video is (at least partially) about Teflon, hence the cynical title

  • no, Teflon (or generally big Fluoropolymers) are not the problem. Ingesting them does nothing to you, because as long, chemically inert polymers they just pass through you from one end to the other

  • The problem are perfluoroalkyl acids: C8 (PFOA) and later substitutes such as C6/GenX, PFOS, PFHA, PFHxS which are chemicals used to start the Teflon polymerization. They are short-chained carbon-fluorine molecules that coincidentally mimic the structure of fatty acids, thus can accumulate in our bodies without a way for our bodies to break them down.

  • These chemicals leach into the environment from factories and accumulate in everything, to the point that the whole water cycle has been contaminated (yes that shit comes down everywhere with the rain)

  • There is conclusive proof that PFOA exposure is linked to a number of organ damage and cancers, particularly testicular cancer and kidney cancer, with likely links to lung and pancreatic cancer not reflected in the study due to survivor bias (they died before the study was concluded)

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[โ€“] [email protected] 67 points 6 days ago (6 children)

We did not do anything. A very small group of people indeed knowingly and willingly poisoned the earth for a bunch of monies.

You'd think they'd be jailed for that, but here we are

[โ€“] [email protected] 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

This means that now that everyone knows what is required to produce non-stick pans, they will vanish from stores because 99% of humans are well meaning and will not buy destructive products.

Just kidding. My parents (>70yo) told me as achild not to use teflon pans, because they are 'unhealthy'. We all knew. We just don't care.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Not "we". You. Many of us actively campaign against it.

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago

Given the ratio of people who actively campaign against it to people who don't care, I think it's pretty safe to say "we don't care".

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[โ€“] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago

They can make Teflon without the forever chemicals. They choose to make it the way they do because it is cheap and easy to scale. Rather than develop better solutions that don't poison us they choose easy money and are rewarded for it.

[โ€“] [email protected] 45 points 6 days ago (2 children)

"We poisoned the planet"

Fuck off! Unscrupulous greed industrialists poisoned the planet knowingly and tried to hide or minimize the fact from the public.

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago

To be clear: This image is directed at the greedy industrialists.

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm curious where this money actually went. Like which specific people have it right now.

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

These persons paid a lot to have laws that exempt them from any responsibility.

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

Sure, of course they're legally immune. Just curious who they are anyways.

[โ€“] [email protected] 20 points 6 days ago (18 children)

Got myself a set of ceramic coated pans just a few days ago. Am very happy with them. No PFAS at all and much better anti stick than my old teflon pan.

[โ€“] [email protected] 14 points 6 days ago

Enameled cast iron is like magic.
Worst case I let it soak for a bit and it comes out clean with just a brush in a minute.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago

Yay, my generations lead poisoning. Fuck capitalism

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

We poisoned the planet for us

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 6 days ago

To be fair only like 0.1% (yes I made this number up) of all Fluoropolymers end up in frying pans.

Most of it is used in industry, building, medicine...

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Use stainless steel and cast iron and nothing else

[โ€“] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Carbon steel, glass, clay, ceramic, aluminum, and enameled cast iron are all great too!

Also stainless steel has the potential to leach chromium into foods. Research into this is still preliminary.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

If you watch the video, it says there is no reason to switch, as teflon is not poisonous. The catalyst chemicals in manufacturing when released into rivers and other places is the biggest source. Then some shoddy packaging of fast foods.

PFASes are not only used for your pan.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 6 days ago

The original thumbnail had a fork scraping a nomstick pan if anyone is curious

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