Green bombs: The eco-friendly way to blow stuff up!
Sure, we all love bombs -- they're destructive, lethal, and relatively easy to carry around. But the real question is: how do these weapons affect the environment?Turns out the people behind the ever advancing technologies in the bomb-making industry are concerned with how these explosives harm the planet. So when next generation of bombs hit the streets, they'll be eco-friendly.
Specifically, they'll release less of the toxic gases emitted by TNT, RDX, and other explosives that are commonly used by the military, or in industries where it's necessary to blow things up. By using a class of materials called tetrazoles, scientists are able to achieve this eco-efficiency by creating a kind of bomb that relies primarily on nitrogen -- and not carbon, as is the case with traditional TNT.
Obviously I'm all for anything that, in theory, is less harmful to the environment. But I wonder, aren't bombs -- particularly ones used by the military to kill people -- supposed to cause as much as damage as possible? Somehow I find it hard to imagine a press conference at which the press officer tells the media: "Yes, there were some casualties, but fortunately the surrounding ecosystem wasn't harmed."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-27-2008 @ 3:25PM
Alex said...
First of all, when explosives are used as weapons the point is to kill people, not the ecosystem. Regardless of whether or not you believe in warfare, the fact is right now it exists and there is no reason not to lessen its impact on the environment. Second of all, there are reasons other than warfare to use explosives. When bringing down a building or blasting a tunnel through a mountain, why not try to minimize the release of toxic gases? Yes, things like destroying buildings and building tunnels are damaging to the environment, but they are also a fact of life. We might as well try to minimize the environmental impact of these activities. Kudos to explosive makers for trying to "green" their industry before having their hand forced by boycotts, negative press, and legislation. We would be much better off if all industries adopted this mindset.
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5-28-2008 @ 10:01AM
fishintree said...
If we fought wars by sending bombs in the form of compressed peat moss on the enemies heads the world would be a much better place.