The size of matter could matter
In the present the labelling of everything seems to be fetishized and given importance. Commercial interests use marketing to sell, and in the same process simplification takes place, and the nuances that take part in the more complex play of life are no longer so easy to consider. In most cases this is of little consequence. But classic and slightly entertaining examples would be the use of cocaine in toothing balm for infants around 1900âČs. Cocaine, as quicksilver and silver, was considered a drug of wonderful healing powers, until they became aware of the implications.Â
âNanoâ is a descriptive word and is about scale, a very small one. Almost everything in the world, no matter how big, is on the nano-scale, except from for instance electrons which are too small. Now ânanoâ is being slapped on as a label representing âeffectiveâ or âgoodâ on many products, the problem is that this is very new, and we have no idea what implications this could lead to. To introduce a wide variety of new matter could bring disaster when it enters the ecosystem. When the size is that small, it will enter animals, even tissue. There are already many examples of plastics in fish and other life forms. The introduction of nano-plastics is one of these new products being sold because it is a convincing sales argument, for a skin peeling cream (then not actually nano) or other consumer products. The problem with plastic is that although it might break into smaller pieces, it can take decades or longer for it to be removed. We have already introduced plastics into the biosphere, but we should prevent it from becoming worse than it already potentially is. Nano technology can have great benefits in some fields, but useless products such as those of vanity containing cheap nano-plastics to maximize profit are simply destructive. -A















