The Joe Rogan Experience #2360 - Caroline Fraser
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Aug 5, 2025 
Caroline Fraser, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and editor, discusses her latest book, "Murderland," which explores the unsettling link between environmental factors like lead pollution and violence, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. She shares her personal investigations into historical pollution and its ties to societal behaviors, highlighting the long-term health impacts of chemical exposure. Fraser also critiques corporate negligence and the urgent need for community accountability, making a compelling connection between industrial practices and rising crime rates.
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Lead Pollution and Serial Killers
- Caroline Fraser connected lead pollution in the Pacific Northwest to a rise in serial killers, due to lead's impact on aggression.
- She discovered significant lead contamination from smelters like Asarco affecting areas where killers like Ted Bundy grew up.
Lead Exposure Elevates Violence
- Lead exposure relates broadly to increased aggression, juvenile delinquency, and crime, not just serial killing.
- Research shows even small lead amounts cause learning issues, ADHD, and behavioral problems.
1970s Crime Spike in Northwest
- The Pacific Northwest had an extraordinary concentration of active serial killers in the 1970s.
- Violent crime rates in the region sharply increased alongside lead pollution and serial killer activity.
