This seems like a really odd article, they gloss over the fact that asbestos causes lung problems as it stays in the lung and basically cuts it to pieces. I don’t believe it is the chemical composition of asbestos that causes the issues (not 100% on that) but the damage it does.

It’s a bit like saying knife crime causes lots of injuries and deaths and we’ve now realised people have knives at home so maybe they’ll start suffering similar issues. I know that’s an over simplification and not a perfect comparison, but you get the point.

The article also mentions multiple times that there is no clear evidence of issues caused via ingestion. I agree though that more research should be done but articles like this will unnecessarily worry people that aren’t aware there are lots of AC pipes and how asbestos causes illnesses.

Most water pipes these days are plastic, are micro plastics likely to be better or worse in the long run?

Whilst I might sound like someone that works for big asbestos I’m not! I do work in the water industry though so possibly this influences my opinion slightly as I was already aware of the amount of AC pipes.

Just to be pedantic, as I found it really interesting when I realised, it’s actually 5 months winter time and 7 months summer.

This is a great point and something I don’t think many people are aware of. I believe I’ve heard a stat that states that only 50% the impact of planes on climate change is due to burning fossil fuels, whilst the other 50% is due to cloud seeding. (Source: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210525-how-aviation-is-reducing-its-climate-emissions).