Thread by @bennettpeer

You know you're getting under industry's skin when they reach out and try to "educate" you and "clarify" something that you discovered. A short 🧵on one of my favorite topics: #PFAS in #ArtificialTurf.

Today I was emailed this statement from Shaw Industries, one of the largest manufacturers of artificial turf.

It came with this very pleasant email.

As you can see, they are eager to teach me about how ubiquitous and benign PFAS are.

I'm cranky (yes, I know, I am often cranky. That happens when you are watching both the Earth and democracy implode in your lifetime). So I responded.

TBH, I was serious when I told them I would be happy to chat. Because I'm tired. Tired of spending several evenings a week testifying in municipal hearings on artificial turf. Tired of hearing the same lies over and over and over. And you know what?

There is one thing I really, really want to know. I want to know how these people sleep at night. I want to know how they get up every morning and look at themselves in the mirror and think, "I'm a decent person. I'm doing good/helpful things." Do they really believe PFAS is ok?

I want to know how this happens. Do they sit around a conference room table, parsing words? "Oooh, maybe if we say we don't use PFAS covered by Prop 65, we can fool them into thinking we don't use PFAS!" Or do they only care about 💸?

Do they send out emails to all the landscape architects (you know who you are) and "toxicologists" (and you know who YOU are) saying, "Okay, next time, say that we'll recycle them in Texas! They'll never know we just burn them."

I really, truly, want to know how it works. How do they get these landscape architects and alleged scientists to mislead local school committees and towns? Do they have classes? Do they believe what they are saying??? Or is it all about the money?

I'm just f'ing exhausted. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up. The older I get, the more I dig my heels in. The older I get, the less I care about what y'all think of me. This is PERSONAL. I'm tired of seeing my friends die of cancer. I'm tired of watching Earth die.

So, here's a word to the #PFAS industry. Feel free to reach out. We can talk. Seriously. We can. Let's have a Zoom. But if you think that you are going to "educate" me about the safety of this shit, you are wasting your time. Let's talk about how to live WITHOUT PFAS.

That is the only discussion worth having.