LIght Bulbs That Kill

Let's get this light bulb business settled once and for all, folks. Our government is now being run by people who have to be certifiably insane. That is the only reason possible that would explain why our bureaucratic totalitarians are in the business of forcing an entire country to use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, otherwise known as CFL's.

And once you see this and comprehend the gross maliciousness of this light bulb push by the leftists and environmental zealots in our government, hopefully, you will see just why you can't trust these people do manage anything, much less energy and health care.

So, let's see. The argument is that if we use these CFL's we will use less electricity to light our homes. I wonder what happens to that argument while they are also pushing electric cars that you are supposed to plug into the grid. Somehow I think they just replaced one electrical need with another bigger one. One gives you less light. The other gives you less mobility. Either way, you get less and pay more. Well, that is par for the course when it comes to government intervention, eh? But I digress.

The Sunday Times from the U.K. back in May published an article that may make you realize just how deadly and stupid this CFL thing is. Michael Sheridan writes from Foshan, China, "Large numbers of Chinese workers have been poisoned by mercury, which forms part of the compact fluorescent lightbulbs. A surge in foreign demand, set off by a European Union directive making these bulbs compulsory within three years, has also led to the reopening of mercury mines that have ruined the environment."

"Mercury is recognized as a health hazard by authorities worldwide because its accumulation in the body can damage the nervous system, lungs and kidneys, posing a particular threat to babies in the womb and young children. In southern China, compact fluorescent light bulbs destined for western consumers are being made in factories that range from high-tech multi-national operations to sweat-shops, with widely varying standards of health and safety."

"Tests on hundreds of employees have found dangerously high levels of mercury in their bodies and many have required hospital treatment, according to interviews with workers, doctors and local health officials in the cities of Foshan and Guangzhou."

I'm not sure if American politicians actually care if Chinese workers are dying from mercury poison. Evidently they don't. Maybe they think they can eliminate the Chinese population by killing them off while manufacturing light bulbs for those bad, greedy Americans. Next time you buy these deadly, low quality light bulbs, you might ask yourself how many Chinese died for that privilege. Just a thought.

As for carbon footprints, how much carbon does it take to ship a container full of CFL's from China to the U.S.? Somehow I doubt this makes any sense whatsoever if the goal is to lower carbon footprints. You pay more for a light bulb that you think is saving the planet, when in fact you have done nothing to save the planet and you killed some innocent Chinese workers while you are at it. All with the mandates from the leftists and environmental idiots in the U.S. government. Do you wonder why the U.S. is not loved and adored in other areas of the world? And do you wonder why manufacturing in the U.S. is decimated when our regulations would not allow such a devastation either to the environment or to the workers? I don't recall any of this dire health issue arising from the U.S. manufacture of incandescent light bulbs.

Further, from the same article, "The risks are illustrated by guidance from the British government, which says that if a compact fluorescent light bulb is broken in the home, the room should be cleared for 15 minutes because of the danger of inhaling mercury vapor. Documents issued by the Chinese health ministry, instructions to doctors and occupational health propaganda, all describe mercury poisoning in lighting factories as a growing public health concern."

The bottom line is this: Because of our government bureaucrats mandating these CFL's, you are more at risk, your quality of light and economy is less, Chinese workers are dying for this, and the environment is not one iota better for the effort. Now do you think those "Change" agents who took over our government are so nice? And wouldn't you love to have these same people in charge of all of your energy use and your health care?