The House Republicans failed to reach a
supermajority that would’ve repealed The Better Use of Light Bulb Act. This law was passed in 2007 and will
eventually phase out the cheap and safe incandescent light bulb. Liberals
are elated that big brother has stepped all over the free will of the American
people. Newspaper editors blow their
noses on the common man. Here is a
Kansas City Star’s sneering comment:
Yes, this is the law the
American people have been hearing so much about lately, the one that many House
Republicans and a few Democrats want to repeal for political reasons, whining
that it takes away our rights to - essentially - buy inefficient, costly,
old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs.
Although they don't
exactly say it that way.
Instead, they continue
peddling their anti-government bogeyman theory of the moment, that Washington
(and they say that word with a sneer) is trying to control light-bulb freedom
in America.
The editors at the Kansas
City Star don’t mind if you have a choice, just as long as it’s a choice made
by them:
Actually, the law simply requires that people get to choose from
more efficient bulbs in the future, which are likely to be compact fluorescents
or light-emitting diode lamps. They cost more upfront than incandescents (at
least right now), but use a lot less energy
What the editors at the Kansas City Star omitted is that you
practically need a hazmat suit hanging in your closet if you break one of these
so-called energy efficient bulbs.
Fortunately for us, the EPA has issued guidelines for just such a
disaster:
Before cleanup
·
Have people and pets leave the room.
·
Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by
opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.
·
Shut off the central forced air
heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one.
·
Collect materials needed to clean up broken
bulb:
o stiff
paper or cardboard;
o sticky
tape;
o damp
paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces); and
o a
glass jar with a metal lid or a sealable plastic bag.
During cleanup
·
Be thorough in collecting broken glass and
visible powder.
·
Place cleanup materials in a sealable
container.
After cleanup
·
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.
·
If practical, continue to air out the room
where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut
off for several hours.
They also provide instructions on how to
prevent breaking these CFL bulbs:
·
Always switch off and allow a working CFL
bulb to cool before handling.
·
Always handle CFL bulbs carefully to avoid
breakage.
o If
possible, screw/unscrew the CFL by holding the plastic or ceramic base, not the
glass tubing.
o Gently
screw in the CFL until snug. Do not over-tighten.
o Never
forcefully twist the glass tubing.
·
Do not install CFLs in table lamps and
floor lamps that can be easily knocked over, in unprotected light fixtures, or
in lamps that are incompatible with the spiral or folded shape of many CFLs.
·
Do not use CFL bulbs in locations where
they can easily be broken, such as play spaces.
·
Use CFL bulbs that have a glass or plastic
cover over the spiral or folded glass tube, if available. These types of bulbs
look more like incandescent bulbs and may be more durable if dropped.
·
Consider using a drop cloth (e.g., plastic
sheet or beach towel) when changing a fluorescent light bulb in case a breakage
should occur. The drop cloth will help prevent mercury contamination of nearby
surfaces and can be bundled with the bulb debris for disposal.
And if you think you can
just throw a CFL bulb in the trash you’ve got another think coming. The National Geographic has also issued
guidelines on how to dispose of this hazardous material:
Proper
Disposal Technique
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy advise
people to dispose of CFL bulbs safely and separately to prevent mercury
contamination. In addition, some states and municipalities have passed laws
requiring that the bulbs be recycled. To safely recycle your CFLs, contact your
waste hauler or municipality to see if either offers a collection service or
has a drop-off location for the used bulbs. Many hardware stores collect the
bulbs, so check with local retailers if you do not have a drop-off nearby. You
can gather the bulbs in a shoe box or another box safely stored away until you
accumulate several in need of recycling, thus preventing numerous trips to the
drop-off center. (See References 1)
All I have to ask is where is Ralph Nader when you need him?
1 comment:
They should only convince people to buy more efficient ones and not take our rights to buy incandescent bulbs. My contractor who took his Contractors Continuing Education said that LED is much better to use.
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