Anyone else taking action to help stop Global Warming?

[CyberFaust]

well then let's move this to that thread.
or should we merge? i thing we should merge.

 

[Halcohol]

well then let's move this to that thread.
or should we merge? i thing we should merge.

They're completely different topics.

I try and cut down on my energy usage, I turn the lights off when I'm not home and always shut the computer down every night. All the light bulbs in my apartment are the fluorescent bulbs (which will save me money since they last a lot longer). I recycle paper, cardboard, and milk jugs since Calgary hasn't figured out how to recycle mixed plastic yet. I only drive my car about once a week, the rest of the time I take the train, and the next car I buy will definitely be a hybrid.

 

[Carcharodon]

I give it a few hours until it's low tide again.

So...you didn't read the part of the pic that said 1 - 2 years ago....

Go you!

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

I support the Planet,anyone who does not..will either have themselfs or a member of their family die in a natural accident.Its a small world.

 

[Addendum]

I support the Planet,anyone who does not..will either have themselfs or a member of their family die in a natural accident.Its a small world.

 

[Kritish]

I support the Planet,anyone who does not..will either have themselfs or a member of their family die in a natural accident.Its a small world.

Yeah, I know. He just made himself look like an idiot. Also, he proved he can't spell "themselves".

 

[Memphis Slim]

Hey.....why don't you purchase those great energy saving bulbs that contaminate your whole house and the environment because of the mercury they contain!!! t:

Can't even throw them away in the trash can. Did you know that?

CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury

javascript:launchPlayer('7431199', ...Code=ATC&hubId=-1&thingId=7431198', 'RM,WM'); by Elizabeth Shogren

iStockphoto.com

In Depth

Scroll down to read advice from the EPA and Energy Department on what to look for in a CFL — and get a home energy calculator.






All Things Considered, February 15, 2007 · The Environmental Protection Agency and some large business, including Wal-Mart, are aggressively promoting the sale of compact fluorescent light bulbs as a way to save energy and fight global warming. They want Americans to buy many millions of them over the coming years.
But the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, and the companies and federal government haven't come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them.
"The problem with the bulbs is that they'll break before they get to the landfill. They'll break in containers, or they'll break in a dumpster or they'll break in the trucks. Workers may be exposed to very high levels of mercury when that happens," says John Skinner, executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America, the trade group for the people who handle trash and recycling.
Skinner says when bulbs break near homes, they can contaminate the soil.
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and it's especially dangerous for children and fetuses. Most exposure to mercury comes from eating fish contaminated with mercury,
Some states, cities and counties have outlawed putting CFL bulbs in the trash, but in most states the practice is legal.
Pete Keller works for Eco Lights Northwest, the only company in Washington state that recycles fluorescent lamps. He says it is illegal to put the bulbs in the trash in some counties in Washington, but most people still throw them out.
"I think most people do want to recycle, but if it's not made easy, it doesn't happen," Keller says. "And they're small enough to fit in a trash can. So by nature, I think most people are not recyclers. So if it's small enough to fit in a trash can, that's where it ends up."
Experts agree that it's not easy for most people to recycle these bulbs. Even cities that have curbside recycling won't take the bulbs. So people have to take them to a hazardous-waste collection day or a special facility.
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency program concedes that not enough has been done to urge people to recycle CFL bulbs and make it easier for them to do so.
"I share your frustration that there isn't a national infrastructure for the proper recycling of this product," says Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy Star program. That programs gives the compact bulbs its "energy star" seal of approval.
She says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That's because they use less electricity — and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.
"The compact fluorescent light bulb is a product people can use to positively influence the environment to… prevent mercury emissions as well as greenhouse gas emissions. And it's something that we can do now — and it's extremely important that we do do it," Reed says. "And the positive message is, if you recycle them, if you dispose of them properly, then they're doing a world of good."
Reed says the agency has been urging stores that sell the bulbs to help recycle them.
"EPA is actively engaged with trying to find a solution that works for these retailers around recycling the product, because it's really, really important," Reed says.
But so far, she says the biggest sellers of the bulbs haven't stepped up to the plate.
"The only retailer that I know of that is recycling is IKEA," she says, referring to the Swedish-owned furniture chain store.
Reed says the EPA has been prodding other retailers, such as Wal-Mart, to do more.
"We are working with Wal-Mart on it, we are making some progress. But no commitments have been made on the part of Wal-Mart," she says.
Wal-Mart didn't respond to requests for a comment on the issue.
EPA also has asked retailers to sell the lower mercury compact bulbs that some manufacturers are making. Engineers say you can't cut mercury out completely.
Some other big companies have started paying attention to the recycling problem.
General Electric has been making compact fluorescents for 20 years. Now the company admits that the little bit of mercury in each bulbs could become a real problem if sales balloon as expected.
"Given what we anticipate to be the significant increase in the use of these products, we are now beginning to look at, and shortly we'll be discussing with legislators, possibly a national solution here," says Earl Jones, a senior counsel for General Electric.
In fact, Jones said he was having his first talks with congressional staffers on Thursday.

 

[Addendum]

From the above article:

I share your frustration that there isn't a national infrastructure for the proper recycling of this product," says Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy Star program. That programs gives the compact bulbs its "energy star" seal of approval.
She says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That's because they use less electricity — and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.

Yet again, another article posted by Celldog which he didn't read all the way

 

[Memphis Slim]

From the above article:



Yet again, another article posted by Celldog which he didn't read all the way

No.....I read it. You just don't want to admit you're wrong. If everyone used those bulbs. Then that "small" amount of Mercury becomes a LOT of mercury. And you still can't throw them away normally. And you have to find a special place that will take them.........and there may not be any place in your town or city.......OR it may be way across town!!!


It's stupid.....all of this hysteria over something that's still in dispute!!

 

[Addendum]

Well, it is disputed whether you actually read the articles you post.

And since I never made any claim regarding those bulbs, what am I wrong about?

 

[Jack Rabbit]

sod the planet...it screwed anyways...mars is where it's at

lmao.t:

 

[XtromaniaK]

No, I'm not really taking much action. I put my trash in a trashcan, pick up some litter when I see it, but that's about it.

I really could care less about "Global Warming". This earth has much more of a chance of being hit by a stray comet or destroying itself than having us fudge it up. Not to mention that global warming will happen regardless if we contribute to it or not. News flash: One day, everything and this earth will end. We can't stop it, humanity will cease to exist like everything else.

 

[Addendum]

So that's a valid reason to fluff off simple conservation?

 

[XtromaniaK]

So that's a valid reason to fluff off simple conservation?

No, it's just that nothing we do is going to "save the world". A cleaner world is great, but safe it will never be. Which is why I'm never going to waste thousands of dollars on a Hybrid, which does little to actually "save" or improve the conditions of the world.

Maybe the factories that are making those hybrids and other cars should have their emissions monitored. It'd probably yield tangible results.

 

[Master Chief]

It's stupid.....all of this hysteria over something that's still in dispute!!

It's not in dispute.

Watch The Denial Machine.

Yeah. In the scientific community there's nooo dispute. Which is funny since a lot of the population thinks there is, lol. Frik I wish this thing would be shown on the news.

 

[Addendum]

Well, no one was talking about making the world safe. What the thread was talking about was taking a lesson that kids, specifically those who were in scouting learn: "leave it better than you found it", and apply that from just simply cleaning up the campsite before you leave to the entire damn world.

 

[StorminNorman]

It's not in dispute.

Watch The Denial Machine.

Yeah. In the scientific community there's nooo dispute. Which is funny since a lot of the population thinks there is, lol. Frik I wish this thing would be shown on the news.

And to be fair 20 years ago the Scientific Community was in general agreement that the planet was heading towards an ice age.

The way I see it the planet may be starting to warm unnaturally because of mankind. I don't know. However if there is a chance that IS happening, why not take a few steps that may help the planet.

That being said I am not going to go overly out of my way in the name of being "green". There is a fine middle ground.

 

[XtromaniaK]

Well, no one was talking about making the world safe. What the thread was talking about was taking a lesson that kids, specifically those who were in scouting learn: "leave it better than you found it", and apply that from just simply cleaning up the campsite before you leave to the entire damn world.

Well see, that's impossible. The world is going to change whether we like it or not. We can never be at 100% efficiency where we never waste nor destroy in the conditions of today.

Alot of people seem to think that "leaving it better than you found it", though, means keeping the world from ever changing. That somehow if the world changes and species die off, we die off, the world is "worse for wear". Not entirely. The condition of the earth doesn't have to be directly correlated to our existence or any other singular species' existence on it.

Which seems to really be the main point that the whole voluminous collection of shockumentaries on "Global Warming" seem to say. That this world without polar bears, or this world without us is TERRIFYING. That unless we get through it, the world is DOOMED!

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!

Which is silly. If the world changes and we can't adapt, oh well. The world is better off without us. Better to do what you can to keep the world from falling apart while you're around than trying to "protect it" from change.

 

[Master Chief]

And to be fair 20 years ago the Scientific Community was in general agreement that the planet was heading towards an ice age.

The way I see it the planet may be starting to warm unnaturally because of mankind. I don't know. However if there is a chance that IS happening, why not take a few steps that may help the planet.

That being said I am not going to go overly out of my way in the name of being "green". There is a fine middle ground.

Yeah, they did... but:

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/dn11643

There's a whole bunch of other great arguments shot down.

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11462

I don't know how to scientifically say it myself, so, I'll just leave you links to read.

 

[CrAzYMoFo]

My dad might get a Prius. Yay for fuel efficiency.

 

[StorminNorman]

Yeah, they did... but:

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/dn11643

There's a whole bunch of other great arguments shot down.

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11462

I don't know how to scientifically say it myself, so, I'll just leave you links to read.

And again, the scientific community was saying these exact same sort of things 20 years ago, but the far other way.

Could they have gotten it right this time? Sure. Could they simply just not be able to fully measure the working of an entire planet and its climate? Sure. Could they simply be full of ****? Sure. I am unsure.

 

[Addendum]

Well see, that's impossible. The world is going to change whether we like it or not. We can never be at 100% efficiency where we never waste nor destroy in the conditions of today.

Alot of people seem to think that "leaving it better than you found it", though, means keeping the world from ever changing.

I guess you do too. No **** the world will change. No one is attempting to keep the world from ever changing.

Just oh, not turn the world into a giant paved-over dead thing. If that means finding better fuel sources, not cutting down a forest or too, or just simply find a better way to make things that will have less of an impact on future generations, in spite of the inevitable.

If someone doesn't that like- tough ****

 

[DorkyFresh]

moved closer to my work, got a more fuel efficient car, started walking to nearby places, cut down on electricity....that's about it. i'm probably not making that much of a difference but it helps me sleep better at night.

 

[Addendum]

I'd rather not move closer to my work.

South Memphis has never been a safe place to live

 

[Mr Sparkle]

No.....I read it. You just don't want to admit you're wrong. If everyone used those bulbs. Then that "small" amount of Mercury becomes a LOT of mercury. And you still can't throw them away normally. And you have to find a special place that will take them.........and there may not be any place in your town or city.......OR it may be way across town!!!


It's stupid.....all of this hysteria over something that's still in dispute!!

1.- If EVERYONE used them, then the ammount of Mercury produced by coal plants would be vastly reduced, hence....uh...still a plus.

2.- recycling already takes special facilities.

3.- only YOU could label using less electricity and oil as "hysteria"

4.- there's no dispute in the scientific community.