Okay, that really stunk … but this amused me:
Did Uncle Sam rush far too fast to force Americans to screw only
“energy-efficient” light bulbs into their sockets by the year 2012?
Yes, says Rep. Michele Bachmann, the first Republican woman to
be elected to Congress from Minnesota. The recently enacted energy
bill, she explains, contains a provision to phase out incandescent
light bulbs, mandating that only the energy-efficient bulbs can be sold
in the United Stats in fewer than four years’ time.
Mrs. Bachmann notes, however, that the new “high-mercury light
bulbs chosen for them by the government received little scrutiny” and
cites studies linking the green bulbs to higher incidences of breast
cancer.
Just before the Easter recess, she introduced the Light Bulb
Freedom of Choice Act, which would repeal the mandate until the health
questions are answered.
Of course, aside from the breast cancer concerns, doesn’t it bother anyone that MERCURY is a main component in these suckers? I was picking up some light bulbs at the store the other day and one of these boxes had been manhandled. The box had a little cut-out on the side where the ecofanatics could ooh and aah over the beauty of the government mandated spiral. Well, the little spiral didn’t survive the trip too well, as it was shattered in pieces.
Does Wal-Mart have a Haz-Mat team in place? 
A Scribbler & A Shutterbug 
I did not know any of this! I actually use the energy-efficient bulbs, and they cut my electric bill by 40%! However…they may cause breast cancer (well…what isn’t under suspicion for that?)? My biggest concern is that technology hasn’t developed an energy-efficient bulb which I read by from a distance of more than 2 feet! –Laura
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P.S. Love the background. Can I get this in sheets and pillowcases?! –Laura
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@Cygnus33 – Isn’t it so pretty? It was one of the options on the Xanga Themes … I love it, too. Thanks!
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I’ve been using energy efficient bulbs since forever…wow, never knew that! WalMart having a haz-mat team? LOL…ummmm sure they do. Ever see those little bio-hazard spill kits on the tops of their shelves with nothing in them? lol
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Thanks for the info! But I feel it was Uncle Sam hijacked by kook liberal Nancy Pelosi and her kook liberal buddies in congress that passed that idiotic law.
Woo-Hoo for Rep. Bachmann! Everybody, tell your congressperson to vote FOR the Lightbulb Freedom of Choice Act. (Our forefathers are probably all turning in their graves that there would ever be a need for one.)
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This has been one of the most backward, typical government leap-before-you-look mandates ever. Been reading about the problems w/ proper disposal of these bulbs for months. Did YOU know you are supposed to bring them to a haz-mat disposal facility? Some have proposed mandating that anyone who sells these bulbs must also accept used bulbs for proper disposal. So if mom and pa hardware store sells them, they would need to have an OSHA Haz-mat disposal training plan. Insane.
Further reading:
http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1319781.html
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-319mercurylightbulbs,0,3026707.story
“Break a CFL in your home and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises that you clear people and pets from the room, open the windows and shut off the furnace blower before tackling the cleanup.”
Would YOU know that when your next light bulb breaks to clear the area of all living / breathing occupants? What if one fell in the closet or pantry — where we keep all of our bulbs?
And BTW, how many people do YOU trust to dispose of these bulbs properly? Know what that means? The mercury will end up in land fills with the regular garbage and eventually make its way into our water supply. Think finding hormones and prescription drugs in the water is bad? Wait till we’re drinking Mercury!
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@darkstar218 – Yes, I know. What’s frightening is that when the little buggers first came out, I purchased quite a few with the objective being saving on the energy bill. I was CLUELESS that they required “special handling” regarding disposal. I’ve only had a few of them burn out since I’ve had them, but those I tossed in the trash because I didn’t know they were “dangerous.”Egads.
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