Environmentalists Should Stick to Facts and Stop Damaging the Environment

Canada Free Press ^ | 03/11/08 | Yomin Postelnik

[Yomin Postelnik]

Beyond the lack of real scientific interest and the vilification of all who dare to examine facts, beyond the careless rhetoric of David Suzuki, other “scientists” and their supporters, the environmental movement is doing irreparable damage to itself and to its cause.

That’s what happens when environmentalists mandate the replacement of Edison’s incandescent light bulb with a tiresome contraption that if broken releases a toxic amount of mercury in your home. And that’s leaving out the fact that prolonged exposure to fluorescent light bulbs have in some cases been shown to affect the nervous system (I’d joke that this may be the reason for the jeering attitude of the environmental leaders, except this is no laughing matter). When environmentalists ban clearing of underbrush in California, leading to uncontrollable forest fires near densely populated areas, when they ban prudent tree cutting in other states that would serve to prevent forest fires and when they stop any oil refinery from being built in North America for 30 years, leading to our continent to be the only one on the globe not producing more oil since 2002 (save Antarctica), they damage their movement irreparably.

[Caesar Soze]

The EPA strongly advises hiring a waste management company if one breaks.

No, it doesn't. Here is what they actually suggest.

Google the article about the lady in Maine who had to wall off her kid’s bedroom until she could come up with $2,000.

Better yet, don't. Read the Snopes article. Lady broke a fluorescent light and freaked out, got sold a bill of goods she really didn't need.

Sometimes the CFLphobes amuse me. They act like mercury is some new and dangerous innovation which the evil liberals are pumping into their homes by the gallon. Have you ever owned a mercury thermometer or had one used on you? They have much more mercury than a CFL. (Several hundred times as much in some cases.) Have you ever owned, or been in a building lit by, a tube fluorescent light? There's mercury there. And how many light bulbs do you all go around breaking, anyway, that you're so afraid of this toxic chemical being loosed into your homes? If you're such a klutz that you are forever breaking light bulbs, methinks you are far more likely to die by misadventure than mercury poisoning.

[Yomin Postelnik]

We debated this already.

1 - Look at the Maine DEP recommendations
2 - even according to the usually overly passive EPA (as far as consumer health issues are concerned) if you allow the mercury to fester, serious problems can arise
3 - Read the snopes article - notice that untreated carpet is dangerous. How many will actually clean their carpet after gathering all glass?

And that’s all before further study, which all say is needed.

As to the frequency of the problem - Thousands of bulbs break in America every week.

And we haven’t even touched on the health risks associated with CFLs that work properly (nervous system - see above).

Lastly - Don’t be so cocky.

[Need4Truth]

Thanks, fluorescent lights have always bothered me because of this. As do the flashing ads on TV. I can’t stand to watch those ads. I close my eyes or look away. Those ads are worthless from an advertising stand point in my case.

[timer]

Don’t watch TV anymore, only fav CDs/tapes; and yet I know what you’re talking about. Those ads are aimed at the go-go young, already immersed in the electronic culture. It’s sort of an extension of their messy rooms, a new toy a millisecond; and someone else has to clean up after them. We’ve long had the energy answers(I can tell you where to look)but you don’t leave a loaded shotgun in a nursery for children to play with(or let a 5 year old drive a semitruck on the freeway). As the book of revelation says, this childish human race has to be exterminated in order to save it. Ironic, paradoxical, yes? Can you think of any other viable solution?

[Finny]

Thanks for the link!