No End To The Insanity

Ok, we're all rushing out to replace our incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs to reduce global warming, because Al Gore told us to. Whoops, it seems he didn't do his homework very well. It seems there are some problems, call them "unintended consequences".

It seems the new energy-saving, carbon emission-saving, global warming-preventing, fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury, and if you drop and break one, or when you put one in the trash, and then your neighborhood landfill, you're going to be putting yourself in danger and at best, polluting our environment. This news comes from the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, one of our government watchdogs.

This global warming/climate change hysteria is going so far there is legislation mandating that we use these potentially dangerous fluorescent bulbs. It seems no one is thinking these things through. I'll say it again, it is not rational science, it is politics at its worst. Here are some excerpts from the article and a link to the original.
Peter


"Earlier, (Ms. Brandy) Bridges dropped a fluorescent bulb in her daughter's room and it shattered, leaving potentially unsafe levels of mercury inside the rug. At the suggestions of the state's Department of Environmental Protection, she now has to pay $2,000 for a professional environmental clean up. Her seven-year-old daughter sleeps in the family room, as her room is sealed off by plastic. "I bought the bulbs because I wanted to do my part for the environment and save money," Bridges told Cybercast News Service Wednesday. "You can save 20 cents per month on your electric bill - but spend $2,000 for the cleanup."

Broken fluorescent bulbs can release mercury vapors that can affect a person's brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver, causing symptoms such as trembling hands, memory loss and difficulty moving, according to a fact sheet on fluorescent bulbs published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If a bulb breaks, according to the EPA, a person should immediately open a window to disperse of any mercury vapors, not touch the area where the bulb was broken, carefully sweep up the fragments and wipe the area with a disposable paper towel to remove all glass fragments. The EPA warns people not to use a vacuum. If a bulb burns out, the EPA suggests sealing it in a safe container before disposal.

In most cases a person can clean up the mess themselves if they're cautious. But in her case, Bridges said, the state environmental officials warned her to have a professional do the job, something she's still saving up the money to pay for.

An entire bag full of her daughter's toys were found to have had severely dangerous levels of mercury and were discarded, she added."My daughter is very upset. She can't play with any of her toys," Bridges said. "But my baby would sit in that room. I'm not going to take any chances."

To read the entire article, go here: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200705/CUL20070510b.html