I'm sure there are current things that are like this.

The first that comes to mind is atrazine. Its use is banned in the EU.

Yes, this chemical is the cause of Alex Jones' concerns about amphibians. But if both the EU and Alex Jones can agree on something, maybe it's worth paying attention.

Or Teflon pans? The things that kill literal canaries -- not in the coal mine, but in your kitchen?

Given what we've just read here on HN about US use of Agent Blue (arsenic! An element! On rice paddies! It never degrades, because it's an element!), it seems clear that the chemical industry in particular has disgusting amounts of power. I just don't understanding how you can be so short-sighted as to "gift" the world tetraethyl lead, the Rainbow Agents, and atrazine, and then run public relations campaigns in support of all of them, but apparently this is what these people do. I don't know if it's motivated reasoning or straight-up sociopathy or what.

That this kind of shit has happened sufficiently-often, I will add, is why the public is also losing faith in essential things like vaccines. You can't keep squandering trust.

> I don't know if it's motivated reasoning or straight-up sociopathy or what.

Motivated reasoning is one hell of a drug for one. There are strong cognitive biases towards 'good for me' as 'good for the world'. It cuts across all walks of life.

As a fan of shows like Dexter, your sociopathy comment leaves me wondering... any aspiring serial killers who would operate at such a scale? Has it already happened? We seem unable to deal with such threats, since it hides intent so well