Why can't they ever get anything right? Just when I thought they had designed something affordable with side effects to help me save a lot of money and help the environment, they screw that up too.
When I say "they", I mean the corporate geniuses and scientists that come up with brilliant designs, like the Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL). These idiots actually forgot about mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage.
All CFL's contain about 5 Milligrams. This amount does not seem like much but, according to Stanford University environmental safety researchers, that amount alone can contaminate 6000 gallons of drinking water, beyond safe drinking levels.
That means that you can not afford to break a bulb and you must dispose of them properly. Which we all know, many people are unwilling to do.
The EPA suggests a procedure you should follow to clean up after you have broken a bulb:
1) Air out the room for a quarter of an hour
2) Wear gloves
3) Double-bag the refuse
5) Don’t use a vacuum cleaner, as that will only spread the problem
This is all starting to sound like my buddy Norman Vargass' procedures, after getting lucky.
6) The next time you vacuum the area, immediately dispose of the vacuum bag
7) Broken bulbs and their remains should be recycled at a facility approved to handle fluorescent lamps
The fact is that there are not too many qualified landfills to dispose of CFL's. Even in 7 states that have actual legislation to ban improper disposal, they have on average one facility per county to do so. If you are near an IKEA take your bulbs there as they are the largest recyclers of fluorescent bulbs.
"It ain't easy being green".
2 comments:
Um, hey guys, nobody told me I was trading in my admittedly energy-wasting bulb for something that has more disposal instructions than a nuclear reactor.
I should have known something was up when Walmart started pushing them-- they're probably made with the toxins left over after the Chinese finish making our kids' toys.
It's funny you mention Wal-Mart.
I have lived in close proximity to one, for 10 years now, and there is one constant I've noticed, almost every year. The paint on their outer walls keeps peeling and has to be re-done, annually.
Either they need to fire their contractor for using crummy paint or they should go with a bare facade.
Maybe they use lead base paint in an attempt to keep the masses, who shop there, in line. It's kind of like watch 'Dawn of the Dead', when you drive by during the holidays.
Thanks for reading and stay red,
Theo
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