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Posted on 01/09/2013 6:28:53 PM PST by Kaslin
Ninety-six. That’s the number of 60-watt incandescent light bulbs I purchased last weekend after learning the other kind, the compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) environmentalists are so in love with, are hazardous to my health and to the environment. I would have preferred a higher wattage but discovered the 75-watt version was outlawed January 1st.
It took about three hours to replace every CFL bulb in my house and carefully place them in a huge plastic container used to transport them to the recycling center at a local home improvement store. I said a quick prayer for safety while coasting down the road in my SUV. A HAZMAT decal would have come in handy because had I been in a collision, I had enough mercury on board to make the evening news. And because I am a Conservative, they might have labeled me a home-grown terrorist.
CFLs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Back in 2008, some Yale University scientists isolated CFLs’ benefits down to one: lower energy bills. The scientists questioned whether a little savings was worth the danger attached to mercury exposure and “runoff downstream.”
Besides making the environment sick, researchers recently discovered these “environmentally friendly” light bulbs aren’t friendly to humans either. According to the UK Telegraph, CFLs “should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head” because “they emit poisonous materials when switched on.” The report found those “carcinogenic substances” should be “kept as far away as possible from the human environment” because they may cause migraines, skin problems and breast cancer. Great.
It really makes no sense. Somehow it’s okay to have mercury housed in delicate glass bulbs inside every home in America, yet the EPA feels compelled to enact new regulations like the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) limiting mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants promising MATS would raise kids’ IQs, prevent a substantial amount of premature deaths, reduce heart attacks, and lessen childhood asthma. I’d settle for weight control and whiter teeth.
Sounds wonderful. Problem is, the EPA’s logic is about as twisted as a CFL, considering most people don’t live next to a coal-fired plant, but every home in America using CFLs is at risk of mercury exposure.
They say the pricey CFL’s are cost efficient, but fail to mention their measure for efficiency decreases if the bulbs are switched on and off. Nor do they discuss the outrageous price per bulb or the gas usage (carbon footprint) involved in transporting old bulbs. They also fail to factor in human nature; most people will simply discard old bulbs instead of spending their Saturday driving to the recycling center.
Seems to me, enacting the most expensive EPA rule revision in history, MATS, has less to do with people and more to do with coal-fired plants. Back in January 2012, the Washington Times said the rule will cost power plants up to $18 billion a year and “will be passed directly to consumers.” I’ve always believed Progressives love the planet but hate the people who live on it. Think about it. They are quick to condemn environmental violators but conveniently ignore the massive amounts of mercury Mother Nature herself spews out by way of volcanoes, deep-sea vents and geysers. Maybe we should tax the planet, just for good measure.
According to Power Engineering Magazine, by 2016, EPA rules will force the shutdown of “32 mostly coal-fired power plants” in 12 states, and possibly 36 others. The shutdowns will lead to higher power costs, less jobs, and potential rationing. Before long, we’ll be rubbing sticks together to cook food, stay warm, and find our way to the community outhouse.
But, in the meantime…tonight I celebrate. I purged my home of all those hazy mercury-filled bulbs and I’m switching on every last one of my incandescent bulbs to celebrate -- in hopes the Google Earth satellite will drift my way and snap a picture. My house will be one of the brightest spots on the planet, second only to Al Gore’s.
Bush’s fault!
The coal fired plants can be converted at little cost to natural gas as the opportunity presents itself.
Bush’s fault!
They are finding thatvthese bulbs do cause a prblem and could be hazardous to your health..
Now the big question;
Knowing this: Has anyone heard one POS politician suggest we change the law back to what it was?
I just took a quick look but it appears that incandescent bulbs are still available in up to 100 watt in Canada. Can you say mail order?
And yet back in the 50's and 60's we would play with the remarkable metal that is liquid at room temperature. Fascinating material and (to us) well worth busting one of Mom's thermometers to get at. That kind of exposure (we did not drink the stuff) did not seem to do us any harm.
All that being said, it's fair play turn about to panic monger the AGW panic mongers by pointing out the hazards of their precious energy saving little poisonous curly cue bulbs. I don't like them because they give off the same kind of morgue light as large fluorescent bulbs, turning office spaces into zombie drone zones, and the sight of them makes me bridle at the feeling of conformity with Gaia worshiping morons.
A POS politician wouldn’t but Rep. Michael Burgess has been fighting the ban for a while. She was able to get an attachment to a spending bill where the government could not spend any money to enforce the ban. That may be where you can mail order them. Stores still won’t carry the 100 watt bulbs, our dictater has control.
There is a timetable for the smaller wattage to also discontinue. The ban law is still in affect.
These politicians in Congress despise light and prefer darkness. Why else did they just pass an enormous multi-trillion-dollar law, ramming it through the entire legislative process in the predawn hours on a holiday? Because they fear light and also hate children, the population most likely to suffer from in-home mercury poisoning.
Moreover, the Congress allowing incandescent light would entail an admission of error in previous legislation, something anathema to the Congress.
Therefore, we should revel in darkness. But know this: the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall not overcome Him.
Interesting. I remember having a longish discussion on a thread a while back about how truly awful those fluorescent lights make me feel. The person I was discussing this with had never realized that, for some people, the quality/color of light has a huge effect on emotion. I get ready for work in the dark--or at most, light a candle--because turning on *any* light causes an immediate, strong depression that only goes away when my eyes adjust. With fluorescent light, the sense of depression remains. It's not pleasant.
Then along came LEDs. I replaced all of our outdoor security lighting very quickly, and have now replaced over 90% of our indoor lighting with LED bulbs.
Partially to save on electricity, but mainly so we can run all lighting, refrigerator, boiler and pellet stove on a 2 KW generator, and eventually solar.
The smaller your generator, the longer your fuel lasts.
Nanny State PING!
Nanny State PING!
Nanny State PING!
Talk about a great idea for a protest! Millions of people, all wearing HAZMAT suits, show up in front of the EPA, congress and the white house with CFL light bulbs and threaten to throw them at the buildings’ entrances.
Thanks for the ping!
When I replaced a ceiling fixture I put LED bulbs into it and am very happy so far. Two forty-watt equivalent bulbs cost less than $10 each. I figure I'll save 65 watts * 8 hours/day * 365 = 190 kWh per year so it will pay off in about a year. And the light looks really nice compared to CFLs.
I just wish the 100-watt (or more) LED bulbs would get out into the market for a cheap price.
Guess what?
Hell, naw! Admitting they've OVERregulated something or having the mindset of trying first to fix problems using MORE freedom instead of stealing it, is more than they can comprehend. Remember, these people are the moral and intellectual equivalent of dead skin from your ass crack.
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