Green or just Foolish

          Declaring that it is good for the environment, the government and liberal environmentalists decided we should all be using Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs).  So, they passed a law that phases out incandescent bulbs, leaving us no choice but to buy what they have decided is good for us.  But, how good is it for us?

          Government has a long record of trying to be green, but just being foolish.  That is why we have empty mass-transit buses and trains, unused bike paths, ethanol (which literally burns food) and MTBE pollution.  Now we have a new problem. 

          In 2007 Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act that, over the next couple of years, requires all general-purpose light bulbs to be 30% more energy efficient.  Common incandescent bulbs cannot meet the mandated standard.  Regulators already knew that CFL bulbs would replace the old incandescent lights when the law was passed. 

          However, each CFL bulb contains an average of 5 milligrams of highly toxic mercury.  Who was the idiot that decided eco-friendly light bulbs should be made with a neurotoxin?  Because of the mercury, the Environmental Protection Agency developed instructions for cleanup and disposal of broken CFL bulbs. 

1. Before cleanup  
a. Have people and pets leave the room.
b. Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.  
c. Shut off the central forced air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.
d. Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb.

2. During cleanup 
a. Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder. 
b. Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.

3. After cleanup 
a. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly.  Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
b. For several hours, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off.

            If a CFL bulb breaks in Washington D.C., is there a politician that will clean up the mess?  Try and imagine your congressman or senator down on their hands and knees collecting all the “visible powder.” 

          This misguided intervention into the marketplace by Congress has forced me to choose; either live in darkness or bring poison into my home.  On second thought, I’m stocking up on incandescent bulbs.