On Mercury Poisoning and Republicans

[Bevo Incognito]

I think Krugman is wrong quite often, but I don't think he's wrong about this:


The Link


There is no doubt that mercury is bad **** to have around.

Makes me wonder if the high suicide rate among dentists is somehow related to all the mercury they have been exposed to over the decades.

It also makes me wonder why Republicans are trying to block the implementation of regulations that would no doubt mitigate the problem. Other than the financial angle of course.

 

[Dionysus]

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[ProdigalHorn]

Considering how the EPA has a track record of overstating risk and danger in this area, it's no surprise that someone would believe they are again being overly aggressive.
An example: is tuna really unsafe?

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[hooklahoma]

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[Bevo Incognito]

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[mcbrett]

Hooklahoma,

If you truly believe the reports from medical professionals and scientists used by BOTH Democrats and Republicans about mercury is "hype and hysteria"- would you like for me to put a little mercury in a glass of water so I can watch you drink it?

We could measure out an amount that is similar to the old EPA regulations just to make it the way you prefer. I know I have some in an old thermometer outside. You know, then you could laugh at the hysterical politicians while drinking the water tainted with traces of mercury.

 

[Uninformed]

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[Alpine]

Gee mcbrett, what a terrible thought. You were a lot more fun when you were telling us how great the Chevy Volt was going to be.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

And once again mcbrett shows he has no interest in having an honest discussion about this.

bevo, the fact that krugman claims this with no substantiation is in fact the issue. Again, no indication that mercury levels are outside safe levels at this time, and we do in fact have regulation in place to check it. As has already been pointed out on this thread, there will always be a level of mercury in seafood. But of course, mcbrett wants to equate eating a can of tuna fish with cracking open a thermometer.

And then we wonder why there's partisanship.

 

[ShinerTX]

Ah yes, Bevo the Libertarian, cheering on a new government regulation.

 

[mcbrett]

Prod, Alpine, How else does one respond to someone who repeats a lie enough times to convince themselves its true in the face of overwhelming evidence?

Sometimes rational discussions seems beyond the reach of a few folks here. That's when sarcasm comes to play.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

How many of you mercury freaks have filled your homes with the compact fluorescent light bulbs the enviroidiots have told us are a godsend?

 

[gecko]

I'm pretty much pro-Mercury poisoning. I have held this view for years.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

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[ShinerTX]

Sangre nailed this point. Ironic, isn't it?

 

[mcbrett]

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[Sangre Naranjada]

I won't have mercury filled CFLs in my house with the hundred year old technology either.

 

[ShinerTX]

McBrett, this thread was about Mercury Poisoning, right? Perhaps that is what the OP meant, that Bush wanted to Poison everyone via the stupid curly lights.

 

[Bevo Incognito]

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[Sangre Naranjada]

Because I choose to buy the older traditional light bulbs, until LED prices come down some more.

 

[Perham1]

How many of you mercury freaks have filled your homes with the compact fluorescent light bulbs....

Are you the who breaks the cfls? I, for one, just unscrew them and toss. You know, kinda like the same precautions I take with other household products that could be dangerous.

 

[Uninformed]

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[Perham1]

I've only recently stated attaching gps tracking devices to my garbage. I'll get back to you when I have more data.

Uninformed, are you uninformed about the entire picture when it comes to cfls?

 

[Uninformed]

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[Perham1]

Uninformed, are you uninformed about the toxicity levels of which you attempt to speak?

Landfill disposal could lead to a lot of things leaking into water supplies. Why not become informed, uninformed, and give us some actual data in this game you seem to be playing?

 

[Monahorns]

Funny, coal fired power plants have the same defense as Perham.

 

[Perham1]

Funny, because the use of cfls will reduce the pollution from said coal-fired electricity generation plants.

Despite my softball hint at looking at the big picture, few seem to have taken that to heart.

 

[Perham1]

While the crickets are chirping awaiting some objective data from the mercury fear-mongers, here is a link that attempts to shed some light (cfl, no doubt) on the subject.

Get Your CFL On

 

[Uninformed]

I'm not a fear-monger regarding mercury in the slightest. I am just letting you know that you are not suppose to throw CFLs in the trash like you are doing. Here is the link from the EPA in which I am sure that you are not interested:The Link

Why is Recycling CFLs Important?

Recycling prevents the release of mercury into the environment. CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs often break when thrown into a dumpster, trash can or compactor, or when they end up in a landfill or incinerator.

Other materials in the bulbs get reused. Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows the reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights.

Your area may require recycling. Some states and local jurisdictions have more stringent regulations than U.S. EPA does, and may require that you recycle CFLs and other mercury-containing light bulbs. California, Maine, New Hampshire (PDF), Minnesota, Vermont and Massachusetts, for example, all prohibit mercury-containing lamps from being discarded into landfills. Visit Earth911.com to contact your local waste collection agency, which can tell you if such requirement exists in your state or locality.



And to conclude my thoughts... Even though there is little elemental mercury in CFLs, in aggregate, improper disposal can lead to contamination of water supplies. Thus, the EPA recommends that CFLs be recycled or disposed of as toxic waste rather than simply disgarding them in landfill.

 

[Perham1]

Oh, I and just about everybody else know that we should not throw cfls into the trash. The point, though, is one of relative risk, and comparative amounts of mercury emitted into the environment via incandescents vs. cfls. I take it you have not availed yourself to the educational opportunity presented in my earlier post?

You seem to be supporting incandescents over cfls b/c of mercury, yet are uninformed that mercury levels, overall, are higher with widespread use of incandescents.