#4: Harmful Inventions
Thomas Midgley might be the quintessential example of good intentions with bad consequences. Midgley was a scientist and mechanical engineer who invented lead gasoline and CFCs (aka Freon-12). Today, it’s public knowledge that lead and CFCs have disastrous effects on people’s health and the environment. Back when Midgley invented both of these things, they were hailed as huge scientific advancements.
CFCs ended up being used in a ton of refrigerants and aerosol propellants. They also ended up tearing a huge hole in the Earth’s ozone layer and causing major climate change effects. Good one, Midgley. To be fair, Midgley and others had no idea that CFCs would disastrously affect the environment when they were developed in the 1920s. On the other hand, gas companies were aware of the potential side effects of lead back in the 20s, so there’s really no excuse for that.