Filed under: ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, In the News, NBC, Obama, Speak Out | Tags: Politics, Rush Limbaugh
Saturday, February 28, 2009
…Mockery, anger, bullying, exclusion and abusive labeling of people that look, think, act, or believe differently is slithering across the air waves… It’s called neo-fascism. Yes the Republicans spent their Saturday afternoon listening to Rush Limbaugh’s sermon. The messiah of the Republican party is preaching that America turn away from religious freedom and choose THEIR way and no other.
I’m listening to Rush Limbaugh speaking to the Republicans gathered in Washington D.C. CNN just had to cut him off as his base character came seething through the screen. He mockingly spoke in a classic stereotypical gay male lisp as he spewed polarizing hate against the Democratic values of religious freedom and equality for all in the United States.
He continues to undermine our founding fathers principals of fighting for religious freedom, life and liberty for all people while seeking to deceive that HE is protecting those values. Hmmm… I think the Bible’s Book of Revelations warns us to see him and others like him for what they are – not what they say they are.
Laissez-faire business practices in the United States is on it’s way out and the Republican Party wealthy elite are turning to their progaganda machine to sway the masses back into line – a pill popping, law breaking, bigoted, fear mongering, old white male spewing hate to mobilize the uneducated masses! This is the Republican party’s ‘best of class’ ?
Rush actually tried to deceive Americans into believing that bleeding heart liberals are responsible for the politics of racism in the Republican party. He would have us believe Democrats are the ones creating cartoons portraying blacks with watermelons, monkeys and lynch ropes. This hate and anger as contrasted against the audacity of hope…
Hmmm…. how do I want God to judge me once I take my last breath? As a Christian woman, how do I want to describe my life to Him? Did I take personal responsibility for my choices in life or seek to point out others short comings instead? Did I live peacefully as Jesus instructed me to do with compromise and compassion or did I choose to seek power over others lest they have power over me – the anatomy of every abuser personified?
Did I fight for life by eliminating ignorance and poverty among young men and women or did I act as the pharisees and preach religious superiority while grinding women into poverty perpetuating unwanted pregnancy, drugs and alcohol, violence and despair. Did I live by Jesus’s commandment to show love by forgiving trespasses as I pray that God will forgive my own?
Did I choose peace instead of war, love over hate, my family’s health, the wonder of earth’s creation and childrens rights to clean air and water in place of corporate profits and laissez-faire greed and corruption? Did I choose to shepard the lesser creatures of the world and practice humane animal husbandry as God commanded or did I choose killing for sport and twisted, sick abuse of animals as a God given right of having ‘dominion over’ ?
Faith and class warfare used as a weapon to manipulate and polarize the masses is nothing new – the Crusaders, Klu Klux Klan, Skin Heads, and Hitler have nothing on Rush. It saddens me so to know many Americans learned nothing from the lessons of the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, World War I and World War II. This hate speak puts America on the wrong side of world history and I pray our great nation will continue to choose religious freedom for all, human rights, our children’s right to clean air and water, the ethical treatment of animals, honesty and integrity in business practices and compassion for all peoples.
There is a center for America and it’s not found in the politics of divide and conquer. You won’t find it by being a ’sheep – le’ blindly following leaders seeking to overflow their coffers by preaching what divides America from the pulpit. I choose light over darkness – and yes in the name of God Almighty as I understand Him to be. Amen.
Filed under: ABC, CBS, CNN, Child Safety, Environment, Fox, In the News, McCain, NBC, Obama, Speak Out, Stop Global Warming | Tags: credit crisis, drought, Green Business, green jobs, industrial revolution, job loss, McCain, Obama, stock market, tornados, unemployment, Vote
- Coalbrookdale 1801 Artist: Loutherbourg d. J., Philipp Jakob
Change is coming so we hear in this election. The world is changing at an accelerated pace over the last 200 years. It’s amazing really – civilization has been on a colision course toward destroying the world since the first industrial revolution
For sure – things will change but will it be good change? I say it absolutely HAS to be the change that will save our earth from total destruction. I know I sound like an alarmist… it’s because I’m alarmed. How greedy are you? I mean really… If you were told your child has 20 years to live unless you change everything you’re doing right now – would you?
Are you concerned for your job? How about blue collar jobs, small businesses, the credit crisis, the stock market fall, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and drought? Global warming… is man made and we must think about the future of our children and grandchildren.
Make the right choice on November 4th – vote for the candidate that will truly bring change to America and bring us out of this economic disaster.
Vote Obama
Filed under: Environment, In the News, Stop Global Warming, recession | Tags: change is coming, credit card debt, debt, get a loan, great depression, recession, Shaklee
The Great Depression
My parents were children during the Great Depression.
If I learned anything during my life, it has been don’t live on credit and keep your money in safe vehicles like municipal bonds.
During the Great Depression, the stock market lost 90% of stock values over several years. That’s why I’m in the stock market I guess! But I must tell you that the first good rebound I can catch, I’m bailing…
My mother told the story of her Dad working for $1 a day as a farm hand. He had found work miraculously with 10 hungry mouths to feed and no money, no food, and no jobs in the country. She recalled having to sweep the kitchen floor free of snow before they started the woodstove to boil water.
Every day that winter, the children were sent out to the snow covered, windswept cornfield a short distance from the house. She would tell how they would plunge their bare hands into the ice capped snow in search of corn cobs left behind during harvest. They collected stripped corn cobs into their shirt coats and then as the oldest child, my mother would lead them all back to the sanctuary of that woodstove warmed kitchen and hand the frozen cobs off to my grandmother. She would deposit the cobs into the boiling water and they would all wait as the mixture boiled down into a kind of corn cob mush.
Her parents kept them alive that winter with that mush, a little sugar and milk from a cow they were fortunate enough to have for milk.
That’s tough… People were kinder then in our agricultural society…
Today our country is being drained of billions of money for a war to secure foreign oil for big oil, hurricanes brought on by global warming continue to devastate our coastlines and contribute to the surge in unemployement and foreclosures further pressuring our strained American economy.
It’s time for pulling in and protecting your family and the best thing you can do right now is get out of debt and save in a FDIC insured bank. Are you working right now? Then do what you can while you can…
Find a second source of income and recession proof your life. We have to quit living beyond our means as Americans. Each of us must do our part to stop pouring carbon emissions into our atmosphere. It’s time to help humanity and pull together during the coming days, months, and years. And please do something new every chance you can to live green… for the future of our children.
I can help you build a second revenue stream with our green business. People are contacting me faster than I can get back to them since this crisis. It’s a perfect time to join our team and let’s build a better future together with your own carbon neutral health and wellness business. We can all do this together. There is hope for a better future and one thing I know to be true – change is coming.
Filed under: Child Safety, Environment, Health and Wellness, In the News, Resources, Speak Out, Stop Global Warming, asthma | Tags: ABC, Alzheimer's, and hormonal problem, arthritis, ban bleach, breast cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, circulatory disorders, cosmetics, Depression, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, toxic chemicals
KNOW YOUR A.B.C’s.
by Dr. Joyce M. Woods
Begin by thinking of your home as a toxic waste dump. The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals – more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century. More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WW II. Less than 2% of synthetic chemicals have been tested for toxicity, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects, or birth defects. The majority of chemicals have never been tested for long-term effects.
a. An EPA survey concluded that indoor air was 3 to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.
b. Another EPA study stated that the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air.
c. CMHC reports that houses today are so energy efficient that “out-gassing” of chemicals has no where to go, so it builds up inside the home.
d. We spend 90% of our time indoors, and 65% of that time at home. Moms, infants and the elderly spend 90% of their time in the home.
e. National Cancer Association released results of a 15-year study concluding that women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home.
f. Cancer rates have almost doubled since 1960.
g. Cancer is the Number ONE cause of death for children.
h. There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Breast cancer is the Number ONE killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54. Primary suspects are laundry detergents, household cleaners and pesticides.
i. There has been a call from the U.S./Canadian Commission to ban bleach in North America. Bleach is being linked to the rising rates of breast cancer in women, reproductive problems in men and learning and behavioral problems in children.
j. Chemicals get into our body through inhalation, ingestion and absorption. We breathe 10 to 20 thousand liters of air per day.
k. There are more than 3 million poisonings every year. Household cleaners are the Number ONE cause of poisoning of children.
l. Since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%. The Canadian Lung Association and the Asthma Society of Canada identify common household cleaners and cosmetics as triggers.
m. ADD/ADHD are epidemic in schools today. Behavioral problems have long been linked to exposure to toxic chemicals and molds.
n. Chemical and environmental sensitivities are known to cause all types of headaches.
o. Labeling laws do not protect the consumer – they protect big business. The New York Poison Control Center reports that 85% of product warning labels were either inadequate or incorrect for identifying a poison, and for first aid instructions.
p. Formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene are found in common household cleaners, cosmetics, beverages, fabrics and cigarette smoke. These chemicals are cancer causing and toxic to the immune system.
q. Chemicals are attracted to, and stored in fatty tissue. The brain is a prime target for these destructive organics because of its high fat content and very rich blood supply.
r. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found more than 2500 chemicals in cosmetics that are toxic, cause tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutations and skin and eye irritations.
s. Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, circulatory disorders, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and hormonal problems are diseases commonly related to chemical exposure.
t. Pesticides only have to include active ingredients on the labels, even though the inert (inactive) ingredients may account for 99%, many of which are toxic and poisons.
u. The New York Poison Control Center reports that 85% of product warning labels are either inadequate or incorrect for identifying a poison and for first aid instructions.
v. Formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene and xylene are all found in common household cleaners, cosmetics, beverages, fabrics and cigarette smoke. These chemicals are known to be cancer causing and toxic to the immune and nervous systems.
w. Chemicals are attracted to, and stored in fatty tissue. The brain is a prime target for these destructive organics because of its high fat content and very rich blood supply.
x. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found more than 2,500 chemicals in cosmetics that are toxic, cause tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutations and skin and eye irritations.
y. Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, circulatory disorders, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and hormonal problem are diseases commonly related to chemical exposure.
z. Pesticides only have to include active ingredient on the labels, even though the inert (inactive) ingredients may account for 99%, many of which are toxic and poisons.
There are solutions, alternatives and ways that we can make a difference. Get more info today and we can share with you our mission, our belief and help you make a difference in your life.
Protect Your Family While Making a Decision to Support a Carbon Neutral Certified Company at http://www.shaklee.net/upnorthFiled under: Environment, In the News, Resources, Speak Out, Stop Global Warming | Tags: A Million Trees, Earth Day, green community outreach, green school fundraiser, plant a tree, seeds of hope, seeds of peace, teach children to live green
When We Plant Trees, We Plant the
SEEDS OF PEACE
AND THE SEEDS OF HOPE.
We aso secure the FUTURE
OF OUR CHILDREN.
Dr. Wangari Maathai,
2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
At Shaklee, we’re a part of a movement to make people and the planet healthier. Inspired by the visionary works of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai and her Green Belt Movement, Shaklee began a tree-planting campaign across the United States and Canada in April 2006, encouraging the company’s 750,000 Members and Distributors to organize tree-planting events at the grass roots level in their respective communities.
With Dr. Maathai acting as the Global Ambassador for our A Million Trees. A Million Dreams™ campaign, Shaklee has set a goal to plant over one million trees throughout North America.
“Trees clean the earth. They clean the air. I am really happy that Shaklee is involved in this fantastic planting campaign. We will join them. We will be together.”
– Dr. Wangari Maathai
Watch the highlights of Earth Day 2006 with Shaklee and Dr. Maathai at:
http://www.shaklee.com/pws/library/flash/earthdaywangari.html
Please join us this April 22, 2008 in observance of Earth Day 2008. We urge you to do your part to make a difference across communities and the planet. Together we can all do something to turn a deeper shade of green.
Are you a school, church or organization that is interested in educating children and your community while raising funds with a ”Green Fundraiser”? Contact us and we’ll send a packet out to you.
Individuals can join us and become part of the solution by switching to our ‘Carbon Neutral’ company and products. It’s time for action – before it’s too late.
For more information, contact us at http://www.shaklee.net/upnorth/contactMe
Filed under: Child Safety, Environment, Health and Wellness, In the News, Resources, Speak Out, Stop Global Warming, cancer | Tags: Child Safety, Coloring Eggs, Easter, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Eggs, Natural Dyes, Natural Egg Colors
Natural Egg Dyes
The custom of decorating eggs as a rite of spring dates back to the ancient Egyptian and Persian cultures. Eggs hold the promise of life and symbolize the return of spring for many cultures around the world.
If you’re buying all natural and organic eggs, it would be a shame to cover them in chemical dyes! Follow these instructions for using all-natural vegetable dyes. These recipes will dye several dozen eggs.
Red-Pink
2 raw beets, grated
2 cups water
2 to 3 teaspoons white vinegar
Blue
1 cup purple grape juice
3 cups water
2 to 3 teaspoons white vinegar
Yellow
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 cups water
2 to 3 teaspoons white vinegar
First, boil your eggs and store them in the refrigerator if you plan to eat them later.
To make the dye, bring the water and fruit or vegetable (in the recipes above) to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Cool and strain through a cheesecloth-lined colander. Stir in vinegar. Then dunk the egg in the dye and soak for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Or try these creative ideas…
-Wrap rubber bands around your eggs before dipping them in the vegetable dye for fun resist dyeing. The rubberbands will need to be tightly wrapped to prevent dye seeping underneat. But don’t wrap them too tightly: They are still fragile!
-Lay a leaf (celery or parsley leaf work well) on the egg surface and then wrap in soaked red onion skins and cheesecloth before hardboiling for a redish marbled egg with a leaf imprint.
-Soak eggs in vegetable dye overnight for more vibrant colors.
-Use onion skins to create patterns, color and hardboil your eggs at once. Follow the link for instructions
-Lay a leaf (celery or parsley leaf work well) on the egg surface and then wrap in soaked onion skins and cheesecloth before hardboiling. See link above for details on wrapping with onion skins.
-Add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil to a shallow dish of dye before dipping a hardboiled egg. Drizzle dye over the top for a marbled look. Allow egg to dry and then gently rub in oil for a shine. Follow the link for instructions
-Cut some pantyhose off at the ankle and put your hardboiled egg into the “foot”. Reach inside and place a leaf (celery, parsley, or any clean flat leaf) flat against the egg surface. Then tightly tie the pantyhose at the top of the egg. Dip or soak in vegetable dye until desired color is achieved. Carefully remove egg from pantyhose and peel off leaf. There should be a white leaf pattern remaining.
-Combine any of these techniques for a layered effect!
Sources:
Sound Consumer, April 2007
Filed under: ABC, CBS, CNN, Child Safety, Environment, Fox, Health and Wellness, In the News, NBC, Resources, Speak Out, Stop Global Warming, autism, cancer, mercury | Tags: CFL, childrens do not touch fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent dangers, mercury, parents protect children from fluorescent bulbs
CFLs On Sale! And A Mercury Update
February 27, 2008 |
The Ace Hardware store on Broad Street in Cranston (just south of the Norwood Ave intersection) has 60 watt compact flourscent bulbs on sale for 49 cents! If you’ve been wanting to switch but daunted by the price, here’s your chance.
A caveat, though, especially if you have young children in the house, you need to be aware of CFL hazards — the bulbs do contain small amounts of mercury. And remember the bulbs need to properly disposed of — don’t just toss them in the trash.
Here’s a recent update from Clean Water Action. Click on “Read more” for the full text and links for more info.
Parents Advised to Use Common Sense with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs to Avoid Mercury Risk
Boston—In a report released today, Shedding Light on Mercury Risks from CFL Breakage, advocates urged the public to use energy efficient light bulbs in their homes, but to take extra precautions to reduce the risks associated with breaking mercury-containing compact fluorescent bulbs.
“Compact fluorescent bulbs are growing in popularity because they reduce global warming pollution and cut electricity costs,” said Sheila Dormody, Rhode Island Director of Clean Water Action. “By taking some common sense precautions, parents can protect their children from mercury risks and still get the benefits of energy efficient bulbs.”
Recent tests conducted by the State of Maine confirmed results of earlier state studies which suggest that, under certain conditions, breaking a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) can pose a health risk, especially to infants, pregnant women or young children. The results from the Maine tests are expected to be released soon.
Experts caution parents to avoid using CFLs in fixtures like table lamps that can easily be knocked over, especially in homes with energetic children and pets. When a CFL does break, the most important risk-reducing steps are to use the following safe clean up procedures:
1) Ventilate the breakage area by opening a window.
2) Pregnant women and children should leave the room while the breakage is cleaned up.
3) Do not use a vacuum cleaner or a broom.
4) Parents should also consider removing carpeting or upholstered furniture if a CFL has broken on them, especially from an infant’s room.
“Currently, using CFLs is still the brightest idea out there,” said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. “Yet both government agencies and the manufacturers have a responsibility to inform consumers about what to do—and what not to do—when a CFL breaks. Our message is not ‘Be afraid,’ it is ‘Be informed, and be prepared.’”
The report also recommends the adoption of more comprehensive environmental and human health guidelines by decision makers that, in addition to energy-efficiency, address other concerns, including:
· Reduced toxicity while maintaining performance;
· Improved breakage resistance and longer lamp life (which can reduce manufacturing, transportation and disposal impacts);
· Sustainable manufacturing processes (such as the use of encapsulated mercury-dosing technologies);
· Responsible end-of-life management (particularly through producer responsibility in funding lamp collection and retailer collection programs)
· Innovative technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that use less- or non-toxic materials, that have significantly longer life, are much more efficient for certain applications, and/or that offer other measurable environmental benefits.
CFLs significantly reduce mercury, greenhouse gases and other toxic emissions coming from coal-fired power plants and are three times more efficient than standard incandescent light bulbs.
Yet today, only about 2% of the mercury-containing lamps discarded by consumers and less than 30% of those discarded by government and industry are recycled. Broken mercury-containing lights release an estimated 2 to 4 tons of mercury vapor into the environment each year and that number is projected to grow as more lamps are used.
“Fluorescent lamps are unnecessarily breaking and releasing mercury in homes across the United States when consumers toss these fragile items into their waste baskets, trash compacters and recycling bins,” explained Alicia Culver, executive director of the Green Purchasing Institute, who contributed to the report. “Lamp manufacturers could prevent a significant amount of mercury releases in homes by better labeling their products, offering more mercury-free options, and funding a nationwide lamp recycling program as they have already done in Europe,” she added.
Filed under: ABC, Angina, CBS, CNN, Child Safety, Coronary Disease, Diabetes, Emphysema, Environment, Fitness, Fox, HDL, Health and Wellness, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, Home Business, In the News, Landmark Study, Mulit-vitamins, NBC, National Geographic, Resources, Speak Out, Sponsor a Child, Stop Global Warming, Stroke, Vaccinations, asthma, autism, biomarkers, cancer, mercury, supplements | Tags: air, alternative energy, carbon emissions, drought, dwindling resources, National Geographic, rainforest, six degrees could change the world, Stop Global Warming, war, water
Get the word out by forwarding this to absolutely everyone you know – Watch the National Geographic special “Six Degrees Could Change the World” on February 11 airs 12AM and 14th at 8pm. Check your local viewing schedule to confirm times. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/index.html
Please don’t miss this special. We should all be very afraid, and then please please change one thing you’re doing and then another and another. Together, we can change the world, one person and one choice at a time.
Filed under: HDL, Health and Wellness, Heart Disease, In the News, Resources, Stroke | Tags: 911, blood clot, cardiologist, emergency, health, Heart Disease, recognizing a stroke, signs of a stroke, Stroke, symptoms of stroke
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.
Seriously..
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that
she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) …..she said she had just tripped
over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new
plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying
herself the rest of the evening.
Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the
hospital – (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.
Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be
with us today. Some don’t die…. they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition
instead. It only takes a minute to read this…
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can
totally reverse the effects of a stroke… totally . He said the trick was getting
a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for
within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the “3″ steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack
of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage
when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke . Now doctors
say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. If he
or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks – call 999/911 immediately and
describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
NEW SIGN OF A STROKE ——– Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the person to ’stick’ out his tongue.. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to
one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.
If everyone who sees this – sends it to 10 people ; you can bet that at least
one life will be saved.
Filed under: Child Safety, Environment, Health and Wellness, In the News, Resources, Speak Out, Stop Global Warming, Vaccinations, autism, mercury | Tags: autism, body burden, Child Safety, EcoLEDs, energy savings, flourescent lights, LED lighting, mercury, Stop Global Warming, Vaccinations
Our family has really had our eyes opened to the effects of mercury because
a growing body of evidence links mercury to the epidemic of autism.
Autistic affects 1 in 150 children and is devastating. Mercury is in
vaccinations in the form of thimerasol and in dental amalgam (silver)
fillings. It’s also in compact flourescent lighting.
EcoLEDs launched an energy efficient replacement bulb for 40 watt light
bulbs; uses only 5 watts of electricity and lasts 50,000 hours. Here’s a
quote from the website about them: “This small, simple light can help
consumers greatly reduce their environmental footprint while helping prevent
global warming,” said EcoLEDs founder Mike Adams, an outspoken advocate of
natural health and environmental protection. “They represent a new era in
environmentally friendly lighting, and they make incandescent lights and
fluorescent lights virtually obsolete.”
The $500 Light Bulb
But what if the price of the light bulb at the store included the entire
cost of the electricity needed to actually power the light bulb? If that
incandescent light bulb actually lasted 50,000 hours like LED lights do,
the cost of buying the bulb together with all the electricity needed to
power it would be a whopping $500!. Would you pay $500 for a light bulb?
Of course, incandescent lights don’t last 50,000 hours. They last only
about 1,000. Which means you have to buy fifty bulbs, replace them fifty
times and throw fifty burned out bulbs in the garbage, all while still
paying nearly $500 in electricity anyway. In other words, paying for 5
0,000 worth of light from an incandescent light bulb actually costs MORE
than $500!
That’s no bargain. Not by a long shot. Especially when a $100 ten-watt LED
light bulb can operate for 50,000 hours using only about $54 in electricity.
(We’re assuming 10 cents per kilowatt-hour for these calculations. Folks in
California are paying a lot more than that, but in some states, it’s less…
Would you rather pay $500 for light, or $154? If you love overpaying for
stuff, and destroying the environment, and piling more garbage onto landfill,
then keep buying incandescent light bulbs.They will raise your electricity
bills, fill your trash with shards of glass, use up natural resources and
accelerate global warming faster than any other light source on the planet
today.
Are Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs the Answer?
But what about CFLs? Everybody’s crazy about CFLs all of a sudden, it seems.
People know that CFLs use only about 1/3rd the electricity of incandescent
lights. Of course, they flicker and hum, and they take a long time to warm
up, but they do save on electricity compared to the extremely inefficient
incandescent light bulb. So what’s not to like about CFLs?
Mercury, for one thing, fluorescent lights contain mercury, period. It’s the
dirty little secret of the CFL industry. This is brought into your home, and
if you break a fluorescent light in your home, you are releasing a powerful
neurotoxic heavy metal in your home. Birth defects, neurodegenerative diseases,
developmental disorders, dementia… these have all been linked to mercury
exposure. It’s not even debated in the scientific literature.
Even doctors readily admit that mercury is extremely toxic to the human body.
(Dentists, of course, remain in bewildering denial and continue to place
mercury fillings into the mouths of children, seemingly oblivious to the
neurotoxicity of this extremely dangerous heavy metal… There’s enough mercury
in a single fluorescent light bulb to contaminate 7,000 gallons of fresh water.
I cringe to think about how much water could be contaminated by the recent
fluorescent light giveaway programs hosted by big box retailers like The Home
Depot, which gave away an astonishing 1 million fluorescent lights containing
approximately 3 million mg of mercury (that’s a whopping 3 kilograms of mercury!).
And on what day did they choose to distribute these toxic light bulbs all across
the country? Earth Day, of course! (It would all be rolling-on-the-floor
hilarious if not for all the deformed babies that will probably result from
widespread mercury contamination of our environment.
So why are people rushing out to buy mercury light bulbs and place them in their
homes? Because no one told them about the mercury, that’s why! Of the hundreds
of consumers I’ve talked to about this issue, very few (less than 4%) were aware
of the mercury in fluorescent light bulbs. Sure, it’s printed in microscopic text
on the packaging of CFLs, but nobody reads that. So most consumers keep on buying
mercury light bulbs and bringing them right into their homes and communities,
oblivious to the extremely hazardous materials found inside each light.
I launched EcoLED because I wanted to provide an eco-friendly alternative to toxic
CFLs and wasteful incandescent lights. My aim is to educate consumers about the
advantages of LED lights and make them so popular that even Wal-Mart starts selling
them, putting my own company out of business. I will only consider EcoLEDs.com a
meaningful success when LED lights are sold at mass merchandisers and incandescent
lights become a thing of the past. I hope The Home Depot stops giving away toxic
fluorescent lights and starts selling LED lights instead.
Isn’t it interesting how the U.S. government requires Energy Saver statistics to be
printed on washing machines, dryers and other household appliances, but NOT on
incandescent light bulbs (which are, by any measure, the least efficient household
appliances of all)? I think we should start with mandated labeling that shows the
lifetime cost of each bulb sold at retail so that consumers can start to see the
different in the total cost of ownership right there at the point of purchase.
Can People Do Math Anymore?
That would, for the first time, make consumers acutely aware of what it costs them
to operate a light bulb, not to even mention the cost to the planet.
Changing light bulbs to LED lights is one of many ways to start making a difference
right now, but accomplishing it requires that the population can grasp concepts such
as total cost of ownership.
Condensed from original content at Natural News.
