Get the Government Off Our Backs

Can Big Brother EVER do anything right? In their effort to protect us peons, the smartest people in American, our government officials, have, in reality, placed us in more danger. Why are we not surprised? Everything they touch turns to crap.

Boy, am I glad that I decided to hoard incandescent light bulbs before they become no longer available. I've got a closet loaded with them, and I purchase two boxes each week so I do not have to rely on our government's choice for lighting; I prefer a safe alternate, and the incandescents have been working quite well.

Read about the dangers involved in using the government's highly promoted compact fluorescent light bulbs, via Weasel Zippers:

Mercury Vapor Released from Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Can Exceed Safe Exposure Levels for Humans

"Environmental Engineering Science.pdf


'This article presents an original study on the releases of mercury (Hg) from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) under various environmental conditions. Leaching of Hg in liquids was examined using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard procedures Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure. Emission of Hg in vapor phase from broken CFLs was detected using an emission monitoring system. CFLs of eight different brands and four different wattages were tested. Results show that Hg contents in CFLs varied significantly with brand. Total amount of Hg contained in each CFL ranged from 0.1 to 3.6 mg, and only [less than] 4% of the Hg was TCLP-leachable. Hg concentrations in TCLP extracts of all the new CFLs tested were lower than the regulatory level of 0.2mg/L and thus the discarded CFLs do not fall into the hazardous waste category. Hg concentrations in Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure extracts were lower than those in the TCLP extracts. Hg vapor emission test revealed that the CFLs continuously release Hg vapor once broken and the release can last over 10 weeks. Total amount of Hg vapor released from a broken CFL can exceeds 1.0 mg, which can cause Hg level in a regular room to exceed the safe human exposure limit under poor ventilation conditions. Results provide useful implications in guiding the handling and treatment of CFLs during and after use.'


Watts Up With That has all that in plain English.


New Rochelle, NY, July, 6, 2011— 'Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb continuously releases mercury vapor into the air for weeks to months, and the total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly ventilated room, according to study results reported in Environmental Engineering Science, a peer-reviewed online only journal published monthly by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

The amount of liquid mercury (Hg) that leaches from a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is lower than the level allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so CFLs are not considered hazardous waste. However, Yadong Li and Li Jin, Jackson State University (Jackson, MS) report that the total amount of Hg vapor released from a broken CFL over time can be higher than the amount considered safe for human exposure.'


So now we have solid evidence that what Congress has mandated are in fact hazardous, and for extended periods.

Can we have graphic warning labels added to CFL bulbs?"