cur-mud-geon:
anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
Reading the recent article by Amy Guckeen in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I was astounded to learn of the problems associated with the new compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
They last up to ten times longer than standard incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy. End of good things…
Once they burn out they need to be recycled. Since we Germantown residents live in Washington County, we will need to take those burned out CFLs to Port Washington, WI for disposal. That is the sole disposal site for both Washington and Ozaukee counties according to the story. Wow, that is certainly convenient. We’ll spend a lot more on gasoline than we’ll save on energy. Was this simply an error in the story, or is it correct that we’re unable to take these to our G’town recycling center?
Oh, and if you drop one and it breaks…you are to open a window and leave the room for a minimum of 15 minutes [no mention is made of what one must do if in a windowless room]. Then you scoop up the fragments and powder using a stiff piece of cardboard or paper. You are not to vacuum the residue or use your bare hands to clean it up. Finally, you are supposed to wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel. And, seal everything in a plastic bag. This is enough to give us all a warm and cozy feeling about CFLs.
The average CFL bulb contains 5 milligrams of mercury. I used to play with "quick silver" as a child before anyone knew enough to tell me I’d be dead within minutes. Apparently not knowing that saved me.
Is this yet another example of runaway technology or is it the nanny state saving us from ourselves? Should we just go back to burning candles and kerosene lanterns? Are we still permitted to buy kerosene?
How in the world have we gotten this far without severely harming ourselves I wonder?
Finally, be honest now…how many of you have already thrown one or more of these time bombs in your garbage?
