Posted on 06/13/2008 6:24:37 PM PDT by Libloather
separatin gold from ore,was one use
My MIL & FIL were both urging my husband and I to get rid of our “regular” light bulbs because it would “save money”. We tried to explain to them the risks associated with these new “compact flourescents”, but they are from Illinois, and they simply wouldn’t believe us because after all the government there had just passed a law about requiring them! *rolls eyes*
Anyway, it’s not just about accidental exposure to a broken bulb that I’m worried about here - what about our landfills and waterways? I don’t recall any special programs being toted out to take care of disposal of these bulbs. The general public has NO CLUE that they even contain mercury to begin with.
Very scary, and just another example of how the liberals (especially politicians) - when something “feels good” or “sounds right” are so quick to jump on the bandwagon.
I have to say here for the record - that when I was a young child (between 7-10?), I broke an old glass thermometer and ended up playing with the “really cool silver beady stuff” that came out (mercury). When my mom entered my room she was HORRIFIED! I must’ve been playing with it for quite some time, I remember rolling it around on my hands watching it bead, ball up and roll off - it was REALLY COOL to tell you the truth...
Anyway, I don’t remember ANY symptoms such as what was described here. I have also told this story to doctors over the years, and as far as anyone can tell I have no lasting damage from this experience either!
Another symptom of mercury oisoning-pay is that written ords-way will sometimes appear as pig latin.
I agree.
EVERY florescent bulb, including the ones we have been using since I was in grade school 60 years ago, have mercury in them. It is a basic component needed to get the amount of light out of them in an efficient manner. Old fever thermometers and home HVAC systems have much more mercury than the CFLs, and we have been using them for YEARS without all this hysteria!
Our policy is being established by mental midgets!
A gradual adjustment/adaptation phase for the human, and it's amazing what works well.
I don't need 120 lumens when I'm sitting down at night, working on a laptop.
I need 120 lumens when I cook dinner. And the windows work fine. I eat before sundown.
/johnny
I have a “XXXX” allergy to mercury in any form, including the vapor. For me, it takes the form of a “poison ivy” rash all over my body, which itches agonizingly, and takes several weeks to clear. Needless to say, I try to steer VERY clear of any place where mercury might be present.
They do that. Getting rid of the Sparc5 station saved more, but it makes a big difference here.
And I don't juggle them when I replace the incandescent bulbs. I've never managed to break one.
And if I did... well... nobody, but nobody digs through my trash.
I have catz.
/johnny
That was a great speech! Thanks for sharing that... I LOVED the look on Tancredo’s face when Roe produced one of those deadly light bulbs!
I would’ve been thinking “Dear God don’t drop it!” ROFL! And, another interesting point is that ALL of these bulbs are made in China... Isn’t that just wonderful? Forget GE, Westinghouse, and other US based companies - let’s just send all our light bulb dollars to the commies! UNBELIEVABLE...
Jonathan Edwards as your trial lawyer if you drop one of these bulbs?
Good grief.
So, tell us, Cicero. When did it first become obvious that you had no sense of humor?
KOOKS, or Keep Our Own Kids Safe, is part of Rush’s entertainment program.
I hope a producer let the guy in on the joke afterward...
Look at all the cities and states which have banned mercury thermometers. They’re the same ones pushing the CFL.
Yes, but do you dispose of them properly? According to the EPA it should be placed in a double plastic bags and brought to your outside garbage can.
And, even if YOU do, are we so naive as to think everyone is going to follow the rules when it comes to disposal. Does anyone have the statistics off hand of compliance with recycling laws already in place in various communities? Much less, VOLUNTARY compliance?
Also, I’m not sure how double-bagging prevents the bags from being ripped open by a broken bulb when thrown into the landfills... It seems that this is a very risky proposal when it comes to our environment, frankly... Not to mention the risk to children, pets, etc... It’s not like these are indestructible, and no matter how careful one is, accidents WILL happen - that’s why they are called accidents.
Run the numbers. Let's say CFLs have 1/20th the mercury of an old fever thermometer (that was true for older ones; modern ones have less and they're working at reducing it further). I'm not sure sure how many CFL lamps we have in this house, but rounding up it's probably in the vicinity of 40. I replaced one this year. The last one to die was about 5 years ago, and I think that was the second to die in the 10 years we've been here. But let's say 5 CFLs died in that 10 years (after all, our usage has increased.)
The amount of mercury from the assumed 5 dead lamps in 10 years is 5 20ths of one fever thermometer, or 1/4th. Which means that the old fever thermometers (one per household) would have to last over than 40 years in order to release less mercury than my CFLs.
I don't know about you, but in my household with a few siblings, a mercury fever thermometer would be lucky to last 5 years and generally didn't. 40 years? Forget it.
It's not A Good Thing to be putting mercury into landfills... but then again landfills themselves are not A Good Thing.
You have to put things in perspective and judge from there. Absolutism is a favorite tool of totalitarians.
And note too that CFLs are a transitional technology; we aren't far from the point where LEDs will make light production from UV-stimulated rare-earth phosphors look as antiqued as electrically-heated metal filaments and carbon-based combustion.
Great video.
It pretty much spells out that there are certainly some of the dumbest people in in the world running our Congress.
Which part? The mercury vapors don't affect people part? The HAZMAT team part? The emergency room part?
Can you elaborate on what BS you're referring to?
Apparently, you were exposed to the vapors. Good luck with, well, whatever you do...
Read the link I posted farther down in the thread that tells how to clean up after a broken bulb.
Rush is never more dangerous than when he is joking.
It’s his most dangerous weapon.
It’s also why libs don’t get him. They have no sense of humor.
“My God! Rush Limbaugh just said Hillary’s cutting off men’s TESTICLES!”
My husband started stockpiling CFLs a few years ago when he was able to buy them cheap through his employer. He replaced every incandescent in the house with a CFL bulb. I didn’t know about the mercury until recently. We probably broke a few of them and just threw them in the trash, not knowing any better.
A month or so ago, I warned my sons about broken CFLs and what I’d been reading. Days later, one son accidentally knocked over a CFL in our garage, and it broke. He immediately ran out of the garage to tell me. I searched the internet and followed the directions, airing out the garage for 15 minutes before scooping it up and wiping the surface. But I wasn’t as careful as required. Both my son and I are fine. We had no reactions at all.
I find the caller’s story just too incredible.
(FTR, I do oppose the gov’t telling us we have to buy them.)
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