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Shining a light on hazards of fluorescent bulbs
Energy-efficient coils booming, but disposal of mercury poses problems
By M. Alex Johnson

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, long touted by environmentalists as a more efficient and longer-lasting alternative to the incandescent bulbs that have lighted homes for more than a century, are running into resistance from waste industry officials and some environmental scientists, who warn that the bulbs’ poisonous innards pose a bigger threat to health and the environment than previously thought.

Fluorescents — the squiggly, coiled bulbs that generate light by heating gases in a glass tube — are generally considered to use more than 50 percent less energy and to last several times longer than incandescent bulbs.

When fluorescent bulbs first hit store shelves several years ago, consumers complained about the loud noise they made, their harsh light, their bluish color, their clunky shape and the long time it took for them to warm up.

Since then, the bulbs — known as CFLs — have been revamped, and strict government guidelines have alleviated most of those problems. But while the bulbs are extremely energy-efficient, one problem hasn’t gone away: All CFLs contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage.

The amount is tiny — about 5 milligrams, or barely enough to cover the tip of a pen — but that is enough to contaminate up to 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe drinking levels, extrapolated from Stanford University research on mercury. Even the latest lamps promoted as “low-mercury” can contaminate more than 1,000 gallons of water beyond safe levels.

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23694819/ns/us_news-environment/t/shining-light-hazards-fluorescent-bulbs/#.TwMVkzX2byE

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>Bill would allow restaurants to add horse racing bets to the menu

>Countdown to NJ’s health insurance exchange

>N.J.’s elderly population to surge

>Readers ask can we afford Paul Aronsohn  and his pro-union ,pro big government agenda of which he spells out so clearly in his own words in this Mach 4th article in PolitickerNJ ?

Welcome Home, Democrats
by Paul Aronsohn on Mar 4, 2011 • 4:09 pm No Comments
Published in PolitickerNJ


It warmed my heart. It gave me hope.


When thousands of police officers and firefighters converged on the state capitol yesterday, they were greeted by scores of Democratic legislators. From Barbara Buono to Paul Sarlo … from Bonnie Watson Coleman to Joe Cryan — the Democrats were out in full force to welcome NJ’s finest with words of support and gratitude.


In many respects, it was a flashback to an earlier time – when Democrats would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with union workers, particularly those who put their lives on the line every day. The banners and signs. The adrenaline-filled speeches. The solidarity between Democrats and the hardworking people they represent. It was all there, and it was all good.


Sadly, however, it was all too unfamiliar as well.


For the past year, my Party has largely stood on the sidelines as union workers were vilified and scapegoated. Silent and passive, many Democrats did nothing as others attacked the very people at the center of our Party. No defense. No counteroffensive. No nothing. During the past year’s great debate over worker’s rights and responsibilities, the Democrats – by and large – refused to show up.


This is not to suggest that all Democrats have abandoned the cause. Some of our legislators not only get it; they have also demonstrated their willingness to passionately fight for it.


And this is not to suggest that Democrats and union members should agree with each other on each and every issue and negotiating position. Quite the contrary. The Democratic Party is as diverse as union membership, and thus, disagreements over the particulars are not uncommon.


I am suggesting, however, that Democrats were wrong for deserting our friends in their time of need and wrong for taking so long to realize it. Attacks on teachers went unanswered. Attacks on public safety officials went unchallenged.

https://www.paularonsohn.com/writings/welcome-home-democrats
https://www.politickernj.com/45532/welcome-home-democrats

>Time to Pull plug on electric vehicle subsidies

On Thanksgiving Day, a Chevrolet Volt battery pack that had been recently crash-tested at a defense facility in Virginia caught on fire.

In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes a variety of opinions from outside writers. On political and policy matters, we publish opinions from across the political spectrum.

Roughly half of our columns come from our Board of Contributors, a group whose interests range from education to religion to sports to the economy. Their charge is to chronicle American culture by telling the stories, large and small, that collectively make us what we are.

We also publish weekly columns by Al Neuharth, USA TODAY’s founder, and DeWayne Wickham, who writes primarily on matters of race but on other subjects as well. That leaves plenty of room for other views from across the nation by well-known and lesser-known names alike.

It wasn’t the first time this happened, which is why the very next day, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into the safety of the Chevy Volt, General Motors Co.’s signature plug-in electric car, and the risk its lithium-ion battery pack poses after a serious crash.

To quiet the fears of the roughly 5,000 Volt owners on the road today, General Motors announced it will loan cars to Volt drivers who are worried that their battery could ignite in the event of a crash. (On Thursday, the company’s CEO told the Associated Press that GM will buy back Volts from customers who fear that their vehicles will catch fire.)

The NHTSA investigation is just one of several setbacks experienced by the Volt, which, along with every other subsidized electric vehicle, has become the poster child of President Obama’s failed green agenda.

https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-12-01/chevy-volt-green-taxpayers/51545634/1

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Live Greener in the New Year by adopting these 12 simple tips.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2012  
BY SACHI FUJIMORI
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

By now you’ve probably determined your resolutions for 2012. Perhaps you want to exercise more, pay off those credit cards, or volunteer in your community. But before you execute this plan, remember there are some small things you can resolve to do each day to live a little greener.

Thinking about climate change, our limited natural resources and waste issues can be overwhelming. But experts say taking small steps to reduce our environmental impact can make a significant difference.

“The global community, and particularly people living in industrialized societies, have put unsustainable demands on our planet’s limited resources,” says Robert Engelman, president of the Worldwatch Institute, an environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. “If we expect to be able to feed, shelter and provide even basic living conditions to our growing populations in years to come, we must act now to change.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/136520478_Live_Greener_in_the_New_Year_by_adopting_these_12_simple_tips_.html

If you’re at home and three-quarters of the lights are on while the family is spending time in the living room, that’s a huge energy waste, said Ed Schwartz, a Ridgewood resident and co-founder of Green Living Solutions, a home energy auditing company. “It’s wasting up to 1,500 watts at any given time,” he said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/136520478_Live_Greener_in_the_New_Year_by_adopting_these_12_simple_tips_.html