Observations From the Back Row: 7-12-11

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Everything we are told should bear some resemblance to what we see going on in reality!
“De Omnibus Dubitandum”

The founding philosopher of the deep green movement was a Nazi
Most of the Green thinkers of Nazism are now forgotten but Heidegger is still honored -- as is his authoritarian proclivities

One of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, foundational to the academic left and deep ecology of the greens, was committed to Nazism.

The green Nazi/deep ecology connection in the life and works of Martin Heidegger have been routinely given a pass over the years by many western scholars who love his existential philosophy.


Sieg Heil, Stephen Chu!
Steven Chu was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997. That he developed methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light does not mean he understands economics, consumer choice, or politics. A Nobel Prize does not even guarantee common sense. Often it guarantees the opposite.  In a Friday conference call with reporters, Chu argued against a House bill that would repeal a 2007 federal law outlawing incandescent bulbs. Many Americans object to being told that must buy the fluorescent, halogen, and LED bulbs starting in January of 2012 as dictated by federal law….. Chu argued the more-efficient bulbs mandated by Congress save consumers money over the bulb’s life even though the up-front price is higher. Chu defended Congress’s right to dictate what kind of light bulb Americans buy because: “We are taking away a choice that continues to let people waste their own money."

What to Do if a Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulb or Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb Breaks in Your Home: Detailed Recommendations

Other Types of Light Bulbs

Follow the recommendations on this page if you've broken another type of mercury-containing light bulb, such as:

Fluorescent bulbs:

• Linear, U-tube and circline fluorescent tubes
• Bug zappers
• Tanning bulbs
• Black lights
• Germicidal bulbs
• High output bulbs, and
• Cold-cathode fluorescent bulbs.

High intensity discharge bulbs:

• Metal halide
• Ceramic metal halide
• High pressure sodium, and mercury vapor.

Mercury short-arc bulbs; and Neon bulbs.

Related Information

• Why is it important to take these steps? Learn more about CFLs and mercury.
• Find out how to recycle and dispose of a CFL after it burns out
• Color brochure: Download and print a two-page brochure on how to safely clean up and recycle compact fluorescent bulbs (869K, about PDF) | en español (876K, about PDF)
• Main CFL page

Disclaimer

This document contains information designed to be useful to the general public. This document:

• does not impose legally binding requirements, nor does it confer legal rights, impose legal obligations, or implement any statutory or regulatory provisions;
• does not change or substitute for any statutory or regulatory provisions;
• presents technical information based on EPA’s current understanding of the potential hazards posed by breakage of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps (light bulbs) in a typical household setting;
• is a living document and may be revised periodically without public notice.
EPA welcomes comments on this document at any time and will consider those comments in any future revisions of this document.
View the most important steps to reduce exposure to mercury vapor from a broken bulb
Note that these steps are precautions and reflect best practices for cleaning up a broken CFL. If you are unable to follow them fully, don't be alarmed. CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury -- less than 1/100th of the amount in a mercury thermometer. However, if you are concerned about the risk to your health from a potential exposure to mercury, consult your physician.

Recommended steps:

• Before cleanup
• Cleanup steps for:

o Hard surfaces
o Carpeting or rugs

• Future cleaning of carpeting or rugs: air out the room during and after vacuuming
• Actions you can take to prevent broken compact fluorescent light bulbs

Before Cleanup

1. Have people and pets leave the room, and avoid the breakage area on the way out.
2. Open a window or door to the outdoors and leave the room for 5-10 minutes.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.
4. Collect materials you will need to clean up the broken bulb:

o Stiff paper or cardboard
o Sticky tape (e.g., duct tape)
o Damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces)
o Glass jar with a metal lid (such as a canning jar) or a sealable plastic bag(s)

Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces

1. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag. (NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.)
2. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.
3. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
4. Vacuuming of hard surfaces during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.] If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:

o Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;
o Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available; and
o Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.
5. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly.
o Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your area. Some states and communities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center.

6. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials.
7. Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as practical, for several hours.

Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rugs

1. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag. (NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.)
2. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.
3. Vacuuming of carpeting or rugs during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.] If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:

o Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;
o Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available, and
o Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.

4. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly.

o Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your area. Some states and communities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center.

5. Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials.
6. Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as practical, for several hours

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rugs: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

1. The next several times you vacuum the rug or carpet, shut off the H&AC system if you have one, close the doors to other rooms, and open a window or door to the outside before vacuuming. Change the vacuum bag after each use in this area.
2. After vacuuming is completed, keep the H&AC system shut off and the window or door to the outside open, as practical, for several hours.

Actions You Can Take to Prevent Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Fluorescent bulbs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. To avoid breaking a bulb, follow these general practices:

• 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.

• Consider not using CFLs in 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.

Mercury from CFL debris: Above ‘safe’ levels and long-lasting, says study
Of course what these researchers fail to grasp is that the mercury in CFLs is a special non-toxic isotope of mercury called HgPC.

Here’s an excerpt from the study abstract:

This article presents an original study on the releases of mercury (Hg) from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) under various environmental conditions… Hg vapor emission test revealed that the CFLs continuously release Hg vapor once broken and the release can last over 10 weeks. Total amount of Hg vapor released from a broken CFL can exceeds 1.0 mg, which can cause Hg level in a regular room to exceed the safe human exposure limit under poor ventilation conditions.

My Take - OH NO! Say it ain't so Joe. Is it possible? Another stupid greenie solution to another non-problem gone awry?  I guess we should be grateful they have such a monoploy for being wrong.  Otherwise "wrong" would have to be spread out among the rest of society and we might not know who was wrong until it was too late.   This way.....we already know who not to pay attention to.  Now we can just ignore anything they say right from the gitgo. 

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax -

Of cabbages and kings,

And why the sea is boiling hot,

And whether pigs have wings."

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