The White Male Oppressor Speaks

In this world of everyone being brow beaten into going green and saving energy let’s look at one of the most idiotic things that makes me laugh out loud and that would be compact fluorescent bulbs. You know those swirly light bulbs that they are trying to tell you to use to save energy and there by save the world? Well not only is this laughable but those things are also very damaging to the environment that these Green Nazis claim to love so much even, if it interferes with your right to live your life as you see fit.

I know you may be thinking how can those light bulbs that save so much energy be damaging to the environment? For that answer lets refer to the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency. You know one of the many government organizations that tell you how to live your life for the greater good. These energy savers are so harmful that the EPA has written disposal instructions and procedures in case you break one in your house. Let’s have a look shall we at what they say you should do.

First, if one burns out don’t even think about throwing it away (SHAME on you environment hater!) you must take it to an approved recycling center because each one of those bulbs contains an average of 5 mg of mercury. And god forbid you actually drop and break one. If you are unfortunate enough to drop and break one the EPA recommends the following action be taken.

Before clean-up: air out the room

• Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
• Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Cleaning hard surfaces

• Carefully collect glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use 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.

Cleaning carpeting or rugs

• Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use tape (such as duct tape) to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
• Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Cleaning clothing, bedding and other soft materials

• If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding—since mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
• You can wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
• If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of clean-up materials

• Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
• Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
• Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future cleaning of carpeting or rugs

• Air out the room during and after vacuuming.
• The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
• Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

Yes that is right that is what you are supposed to do if you break one of those enviro-killers. I think that I will stay with using the lightbulbs that have worked just fine for nearly 100 years or maybe switch to overly expensive LED lighting.

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