The "one-man environmental disaster" that made fridges fridge and cars car

[henene4]

Saw a video on YT just now on the channel "Veritasium" that reminded me of someone I had a weird fascination with from the second I learned about them and that I think more people should know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley_Jr.

Thomas Midgley Junior, the guy who was a very dedicated and talented engineer, just with the unfortunate talent of finding good but problematic solutions to things.

The moment someone told me the guy who invented leaded fuel also invented Freon while working at the same company I couldn't believe it.

Learning that he was killed by the thing he invented to help himself move was just the cherry on top.

His story actually gives a very important lesson:
People often ignore very obvious known things for way longer than objectively reasonable just because the comfort they provide is far more immediate.

On the more light side, he inspired such incredible sentences as "one man environmental disaster" or "the one organism that had singlehandedly more impact on earths atmosphere than any other single organism".

Screwing up as an engineer once even at large scale comes with the territory.
Doing it TWICE at such a global scale is simply an amazing coincidence.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

And here I thought that Charles Kettering of General Motors fame was to blame for leaded fuel and freon.

 

[rp2813]

Interesting story. 

 

My sister knows people from Beaver Falls.  I wonder if they've ever heard of TMJ.  Not a native son to be proud of.

 

[henene4]

As far as I understand, the 2 were somehow work related.
Don't know if one was the superior of the other, or if they were lab colleagues.

What I do know is that the testing that led to the lead additive and the testing that produced Freon was documented and done by Midgley (if I am not mistaken).

He was the one pushing these things - even though he suffered from lead poisoning himself...