robot_parade

I've noticed that some people I meet tend to be 'concern-a-holics' - they have so many causes, things they avoid, things they think are Bad. Sometimes, these phobias sound a lot like paranoia. People 'discover' something that is Bad, but only a select few (including them) know about, while the rest of us carry on unconcerned, like lambs to the slaughter. There are some things that are certainly legitimate to worry about. I think almost anyone has a few things they're concerned about. I'm going to try to list as many as I can think of in five minutes. Maybe others would like to do the same. Or maybe The Government Mind Control will prevent you. ;-)

o Heavy metals and other toxic substances in the environment (mercury, etc)
o Global warming
o Deforestation/environmental damage outside of the above

o Expanding government power, limiting of individual freedoms, and totalitarianism
o Never-ending war
o Energy crisis

o Products produced with undue human or animal suffering - specifically things like diamonds, manufactured products in inhumane conditions, etc.
o 'Something happening' to my family, healthwise, due to an accident, or malice.

Hrm. Seems like I'm missing things, but that's what springs to mind.

Bear Cub

-Fathering an illegitimate child
-Financial ruin
-A society that does not come to embrace nuclear power (which in my field of work, would coincidentally result in financial ruin).

ASU2003

Trans fats
High sodium levels
High fructose corn syrup (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=1931610)
Second hand smoke

But these things are bad, and if you avoid them in your life, while it is hard to do, it will make you feel better and your body will work better.

samurai_x44

Genetically modified foods! They we don't know their health effects, there is no tracability in north america since there is no manditory labeling while north america is the biggest market for them. The only study about their health effects found that more people where allergic to genetically modified soy than non genetically modified soy. Other studies performed on rats where full of contreverse and hence inconclusive.

It was also found that the inserted genetic code is unstable meaning it is prone to mutation. This means that genetically modified foods can be a health risk due to unplanned mutation. I don't know how accurate this information is though but it is still plausible.

The worst part thought is that I can't even what foods are modified and which aren't so I can't even make the choice not to eat them.

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MSD

[Citation Needed]

samcol

I'll look for a source, but to say modifiying soy crops so they can handle 2-3 times more herbicides and pesticides could have an increase in allergies isn't too far off base imo. You have that plus the modified gene effect which creates proteins that have never been seen before that our bodies aren't capable of processing. I think both of those issues defineintly could lead to an increase in allergies.

Oh and in regards to the OP.

Soybeans contain phytoestrogens, so that may be a concern for you if you have hormone problems or don't like having higher estrogen levels. Try almond milk instead of soy milk if you are lactose intolerant.

Also the bottled water is the same as tap water myth. True some of the garbage like dasani and aquafina is pretty bad. You have to read the lables usually reverse osmosis is the best or the water that truly comes from great natural sources like evian.

Mircowaving or freezing plastics causes cancer when you consume the food or water in them. Plus plastics have phytoestrogen effect as well.

Vaccines contain mercury which have a cumulative effect that may cause autism or other neurological problems.

Aspartame is a horrible artificial sweetner which breaks down into methanol that can cause neurological problems in large doses.

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It's time for the president to hand over his nobel peace prize.

robot_parade

First, the goals of most of the GM crops I've heard about are to *reduce* the amount of herbicides and pesticides you need, by including targeted resistance to food crops. That way, you can use *less* herbicide and pesticide, which have their own environmental cost. GM foods have their own risks, but most of the plausible ones involve cross-species contamination - ie, your super corn swaps genes with kudzu, and now you have super-resistant kudzu. Or your GM corn swaps genes with the corn of the organic farmer next door, who doesn't want the GM genes, and gets sued by monsanto for violating it's patents.

The only references I can find wrt phytoestrogens are a possible benefits in cancer prevention, and possible risks with soy infant formulas, but nothing specific. Why worry, or change your habits, in advance of actual scientific evidence?

Often bottled water *is* the same as tap water, because it's tap water that's been bottled. Tap water in this country is generally very, very safe. Some areas probably do have problems. But maybe it would be a good idea to compare the costs of installing a sink water filter (we have one, mostly for the taste benefits), versus bottling, shipping, and either disposing of or recycling the bottles.

[citation needed], to quote MSD. I *have* heard of some studies of chemical breakdowns in plastic containers, but again, I'm not going to toss out all of my tupperware in advance of actual *data*.

We've already dealt with this one.

Again, the actual scientific evidence doesn't show a problem.

LoganSnake

I don't concern myself with anything that doesn't have a noticeable effect on my well being or the wellbeing of loved ones. Currently, it's my girlfriend's mom chain smoking inside the house without opening any windows and me cutting down on certain foods due to gall bladder complications.

That's about it.

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Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

samurai_x44

Sorry but I got this info from a french documentary and I don't remember the name... makes me look like a liar uh

You can check the wikiepia article :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_food_controversy

ps : it was much more credible in the video with the scientists who did the actual experiments being interviewed

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Willravel

The unknown, speaking astrophysically.

What if a dark matter asteroid floats into the solar system, strikes Neptune and throws off the Earth's orbit, which causes substantial climate change requiring that everyone move to the poles?

What if the Earth is enveloped in an especially large solar flare which effectively ruins all electronics?

Martian

Let's just get this out of the way early:



I have an irrational fear of koi.

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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

ottopilot

Some things I'm concerned about:

• Many of the concerns already listed.
• The health and wellbeing of my family.
• Gradual and impending loss of control (by the people) of our government.
• The effects of cell phones, microwave transmissions, and electromagnetic transmissions on our brains ... and the potential long-term health concerns.
• Whether to build the family bunker or go for the 33' Fountain Lightning
  
• Am I wearing pants?

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"It rubs the lotion on Buffy, Jodi and Mr. French's skin" - Uncle Bill from Buffalo

Willravel

A bunker is more about time than money. Trust me.

robot_parade

Not a liar, just perhaps misinformed.

Er...except that link doesn't work...

This article talks about some of the actual concerns with GM crops:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_food

It talks about some of the actual concerns with GM crops (and there are plenty).

pan6467

The increasing amount of people that are willing to give away freedoms of choice and rights because "they" have decided that the freedom/right is something they don't like. Basically allowing government to play bigger roles in our lives like we are all 3 year olds needing to be told how to live life.

This presidential race where none of the 3 IMHO, truly want the office because they feel they can help us rebuild but rather for the power.

The ever increasing disparity between the rich and the poor. Person works 40 hours no matter what the job they should be able to afford to have some luxury in life, even with kids... there is no reason someone who works full time should have to work 2-3 jobs, have the mother work and still hardly afford a standard of living. Meanwhile CEOs and the very upper echelons of companies load themselves with lavish contracts and packages, even if fired they can end up with millions upon millions. Then they fight for tax cuts.

But the worst is the divisiveness. How we as a country as so unwilling to listen to each other and work for solutions. Instead, we will fight for ideas that benefit only us and who we want but not the nation as a whole. We are the greatest nation to have ever been and instead of making us better we fight each other to greater divide, leading government to take away more rights, leading to the majority of our nations problems..

It all comes down, for me, will this nation have more opportunities and greater freedoms for my son and grandchildren, than it was for me?

My greatest fear, is what kind of country and world do we leave our children and their progeny.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

MSD

I'm too concerned about getting the next three or four paychecks without the bank foreclosing on our house to worry about problem, and I'd welcome a catastrophic asteroid impact just about anywhere that doesn't leave me in the crater, maybe then people will be too concerned about the global catastrophe to call me about my overdue credit card payments.

Sun Tzu

World leaders that base their reality on the Bible. Im not an atheist, until quant physics can exlpain what was before singularity, where the spark can from and what is the space the boundries of the big bangs outer walls has not reached Im compelled the not discount their is something greater than time space and intelligent. However, a US president for example that is a TRUE devout Christian believes the Book of Revelation is meant to be. We dont need self fufilling prophecies we need STAR TREK.

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To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

Jimellow

I'm concerned about being healthy and enjoying life whenever possible. I'm also concerned about the well being of my family members, and to a lesser extent, my friends.

For the most part, I feel things that are out of my realm of influence aren't really worth my concern. Not that my concern is that valuable, but I just find such issues to provide unnecessary stress and concern in one's life.

An example is reading the paper or exposing oneself to other forms of mass media. It's filled with things I wouldn't care about otherwise, but as soon as someone opens the pages and is told they need to be concerned about this or that issue, they start to be, and feel I should too. I just think it's goofy.

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Desperation is no excuse for lowering one's standards.