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Thomas Midgley, and the destruction of earth: This one's more sad than regrettable: A brilliant scientist, Midgley solved the engineering problems of the day spectacularly well. Car engine making knocking sounds? Have some leaded fuel! Wish you could refrigerate things without huge blocks of ice? Here's a bucket of freon! Midgley died well before it became clear just how dangerous leaded fuel and chlorofluorocarbon were, so the lamentation was left to others. According to J.R. McNeill,
he had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history.
Well, you know, it happens.Image via HowStuffWorks
