“Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act”: [Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachman] has introduced the “Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act” to stop the phase-out of incandescent bulbs. “This is an issue of science over fads and fashions,” she told an interviewer, and called any human connection to global warming “voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.” She continued: “Fluorescent bulbs are more polluting because of their mercury content. We are working on a light bulb bill. If the Democrats can hose up a light bulb, don’t trust them with the country.”
We are so proud here in what used to be liberal Minnesota. Ugh.
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Tags: environment, Minnesota, politics
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Apr 9, 2008 at 8:04 am
moe
Speaking of Bachmann, over at MNPublius
Apr 9, 2008 at 8:22 am
jenny
Wow, so this is how she spends her time, writing bills about light bulbs. I just want to say that we have our whole house lighted by flourescent bulbs and our electricity bill runs on average around $30.00 a month. I know for a fact from talking to my co-workers that we are saving money and cutting our energy costs in half. While i agree that the mercury is of some concern i do know that you can recycle them at ikea regardless of where you got them and also we’ve been in our house almost two years and have yet to change a single light bulb.
Apr 9, 2008 at 9:59 am
J-Me
WTF? Are we really grabbing at straws or what MB? What an asshat.
Apr 9, 2008 at 12:40 pm
B
“Look at Israel and Palestine. Fences work.” … Awesome. Quote of the century. Quote of the millennium damn it.
Dec 28, 2008 at 4:25 am
lisa
Fluorescent bulbs are bad for your eyesight, bad for your skin, and bad for your well being. Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury. If you break a CFL in your house you are supposed to call Hazmat to clean up the “toxic waste.” They charge $2000.00 to clean it up, no joke. There is nothing wrong with the incandescent bulbs. I would rather have one incandescent on in my house than 10 CFLs. CFLs are no good. All CFLs are made in China. According to the NASA website, the ice caps on Mars are melting also and other planets in the solar system are warming slightly. We are not polluting those planets, why are they warming? Think about it. Just think.
Dec 28, 2008 at 8:30 am
moe
Stop spreading lies.
What should I do if I break a bulb?
The risks to you and your family from breaking a CFL are small. The amount of mercury in a CFL is very small, about five milligrams, or the size of the tip of a ball point pen. In comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury. It would take 100 CFLs to equal the amount of mercury in a single thermometer.
So if you break a bulb, you’re at little risk for significant mercury exposure. It is important, though, to carefully clean up and dispose of a broken CFL to avoid spreading around the phosphorus powder, glass and any remaining mercury.