I've been following this issue for some time and in about 30 days you will no longer be able to buy the 100 watt light bulbs and will have to buy those nasty little Mercury ladened over priced bulbs that environmentalists love so much. I think its time for a Home Depot run.
EDITORIAL: Time to stock up on light bulbs
Government ban on mercury-free fixtures takes effect Jan. 1
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/26/time-to-stock-up-on-light-bulbs/.
Here's a story from Boston.com on the mercury risk of the new bulbs:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/02/25/high_efficient_lightbulbs_come_with_mercury_risk/
...and here's my favorite line from the article, concerning what to do if a bulb breaks:
"...If there are young children or pregnant woman in the house, consider cutting out the piece of carpet where the bulb broke. Use a glass jar with a screw top to contain the shards and clean-up debris."
I'm telling you, now is the time to open a carpet repair service. There will be millions of homes with at least one square of carpet missing. If you're a butter-finger like me, plan on putting the repair service on retainer.
This made me wonder...just how will the average American dispose of these damned things, anyway???
I'll tell you how.
They'll toss the used bulbs right in the garbage. If they can't afford municipal garbage bags, the bulbs will end up along the roadside. Or in our creeks. And in our rivers. There might even be a superfund site or two with millions of bulbs oozing mercury into the soil.
What will happen next is all too predictable. Liberals will bemoan the increase of mercury poisoning in our nation's tadpoles. They'll recommend incandescent bulbs, and they'll tell us that though the incandescent bulbs use more energy it is the price we must pay to save the planet from the evil corporations poisoning us with their toxic mercury lighting.
The scary thing is I'm probably dead right on this...
...and now I'm in the mood for something deep fried in trans-fat oil. Anybody have a gallon stashed away??
JimboBillyBob