Spiritual Forum

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  Barron January 28, 2010 at 8:45am

  Cheers for posting this . I wrote a lengthy article on this very subject myself that was published in an alternative mag here in NZ and if you don't mind i will repost it seeing it is very relevant!
  
  Compulsory Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Madness!
  
  The New Zealand Herald reported on the 17th June 2008 that the days of the energy-inefficient but cheap light bulb are numbered as the current government launched a campaign to phase them out by the end of 2009.
  With this death of Thomas Edison’s incandescent “traditional” light bulb and the planned compulsory use of the eco-bulb or compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), there are considerable problems that need to be addressed.
  Not only do we have the environmental problems that these bulbs pose due to their containing mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage but we also have lesser known and potentially hazardous to human health problems associated with exposure to these compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
  Whilst the amount of mercury in a CFL is tiny – about 5 milligrams, or barely enough to cover the tip of a pen – but that is enough to contaminate up to 6000 gallons or nearly 23000 litres of water beyond safe drinking levels, extrapolated from Stanford University research on mercury.
  As long as the mercury is contained in the bulb, CFLs are safe from the environmental aspect. But eventually, any bulbs – even CFLs break or burn out and most consumers simply throw them out in the rubbish where they will end up in landfills and this poses a huge threat to the environment.
  Some City Councils currently have a special household hazardous waste drop off facility whereby upon driving a, in some instances, considerable amount of kilometers to reach your nearest Refuse Transfer Station and providing proof of your residency (phone bill or rates bill), are allowed to drop off a maximum of just 5 Ecobulb light bulbs! (As per the Waitakere City Council website.)
  And too bad if you should accidentally break one these new eco-bulbs. One study in the USA found that “immediately after the bulb was broken – and sometimes even after a cleanup was attempted – levels of mercury vapour exceeded federal guidelines for chronic exposure by as much as 100 times.”
  And in the USA, the E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency) details an incredibly involved cleanup process in the event of a broken eco-bulb:
  First, the E.P.A. warns to immediately evacuate the room of all people and pets, and to ensure that no one walks through the breakage area on their way out of the room. Windows must be opened and no one may re-enter the room for at least 15 minutes. Any central heating or air conditioning system should be shut down.
  Take the relatively simple cleanup instructions for hard surfaces. Quoting from the EPA warning:
  • Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
  • Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
  • Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
  • Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
  More rules apply the next several times one cleans the area. Each time one vacuums the area again: open the windows and shut off any central heating or air conditioning system. The windows should also remain open for at least 15 minutes after the vacuuming is completed.
  Professor Magda Havas, Associate Professor Environmental and Resource Studies of Trent University in Ontario, Canada, is one of world’s leading researchers on the biological effects of EMFs (electric and magnetic fields),has recently completed a study on the various frequencies created by various CFL light bulbs. This is what she advises:
  “Some packages even have a warning about the radio frequency saying this light may interfere with radio reception. Indeed this is something that most people can test with a portable radio on AM. As you bring the radio close to an energy efficient bulb that produces radio frequencies the radio will begin to buzz. This is known as electromagnetic interference (EMI) and is a concern for anyone using wireless technology such as mobile phones or wireless computers.
  
  But the real problem is that these frequencies are making people sick. Three independent groups in the UK, including the British Association of Dermatologists, the Migraine Action Association, and Epilepsy Action, have reported illness among their members who have tried energy efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFL). The most common symptoms are headaches-including migraines, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, ringing in the ears, eyestrain, nausea and skin irritations.
  
  Not all energy efficient bulbs are the same. Some do not contribute to dirty electricity and do not produce radio frequencies and this includes a few compact fluorescent lights, some LEDs (light emitting dioxides) and some halogen bulbs. Unfortunately most of the bulbs on the market will make people sick. Reducing green house gases is important but doing it with flawed technology that will make the user ill is not the right course of action. If governments are going to ban the energy-inefficient but electromagnetically clean incandescent bulb, then they should also ban bulbs that produce radio frequency pollution.”
  These are just some of the hassles to this latest “do good” regulation. Politicians place a premium on saving energy to the exclusion of saving people’s time, or, in this case, even their health.
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    Jazmin > Barron January 29, 2010 at 1:44am

    Barron, it is of utmost importance that your article be published and circulated, not only in alternative magazines in NZ, but also in mainstream printed medium, as well as online -- where it's most highly needed -- worldwide.