"Martin" wrote in message
...
On 19 Aug 2004 21:01:30 GMT, (Nick Maclaren)
wrote:


All right. They work, and they are all equally nasty, in different
ways. One advantage of creosote is that it is fairly harmless to
the wider environment, though extremely nasty to the local one.
I do not subscribe to the carcinogenesis fetish - that is a
creation
of the tabloids and their dependent politicians.

So in your opinion creosote isn't carcinogenic?

I don't think that is in contention. What matters would be to try and
quantify the relative risks of contracting cancer as a result of being
exposed to a fence painted with creosote, compared with taking a walk
in the Lake District, where the fells are rapidly being invaded by
bracken. This, as you know, is also trumpeted as being carcinogenic
by the Cassandras of this world.

A comparison of the risks associated with the use of creosote and the
use of aluminium or copper kitchen utensils would also be interesting.

Oh, for the days when mothers sent their children out so look at the
creosote operations when open cauldrons were in use during road repair
activities. In those days the fumes were considered good for the
chest, and smelling the stuff was cheaper than buying a creosote-based
cough mixture.

Franz