Virgil

Virgil I know exactly how you feel. Those light bulbs are one big take they cost a fortune and they do not throw off enough light so you need to put twice as many of them on to see what you are doing.

As for the government well they are the same no matter where you live.

We use those light bulbs. I’ve never had to replace one and we’ve had some for over four years. I didn’t know about the mercury, though. If an amount small enough to fit on the head of a pen can contaminate 6000 gallons then I wonder how the mercury dental fillings can be safe.
I’m shocked at the price of water! We have a well so we never pay for water. We just have to pay for the upkeep of the well. My husband installs these pump systems for a living. I remember the first time I tasted well water. I drank so much that my belly was distended and every time I moved around I could hear it sloshing. My water is so tasty it’s worth money. I doubt your expensive treated water is. I know that it takes money to maintain the water system and treat the water, but I think there is something fundamentally wrong with profiting off of the sale of water. A 30% increase sounds like somebody is making one heck of a profit.
I’ve never paid a toll. I’ve heard you talk about the tolls before and it does sound excessive.

my goodness!! yes all that does deserve lots of flare smilies. would it be cheaper to buy bottled water to drink? that way you'd only need water for dishwashing and clotheswashing and showers. And the bulbs.... What a waste.

governments and councils really know how to "help" us in times of resession dont they!

Thanks guys. Reading a newspaper just makes a person angry. What's the point of reading one when all that you read causes your blood pressure to go up?

Jo, I'm beginning to wonder about those bulbs. If there is mercury in them and mercury vapor is a problem, how air tight are those things? Do they allow mercury vapor to out leak? And I have them over my kitchen counter. Am I contaminating my food?

Mom-H, I did not mention in my blog that I read that those bulbs do not last as long if they are in an enclosed space. The do not last for instance in spot light containers where they get over heated. That's apparently what happened with me. Your water sounds great. Actually New York City has the reputation of having the best city water in the country, or at least we are led to believe that. Nonetheless, my wife refuses to drink it. Your spring water sounds great but there is something to be said about killing germs, adding floride, and having a chemical analysis monitoring. Lord knows what leaks into ground water.

Andy, we do mostly drink bottled water. The drinking water cost amounts to very little. Most of the water consumed is bathroom related and I guess gardening.

Thanks Niamh. As people have probably noticed I don't have a friendly notion of what government does for people. Surely we have to help people who are disadvantaged. But it shouldn't do things for people who can help themselves. Perhaps that's a future blog.

Maybe you're just getting caught up in poor use of terminology. The lightbulbs are not 'environmentally friendly' but rather 'energy efficient'. There's a big difference. As to the potential environmental impact or potential health risks, there's some useful information here, if you're interested: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/...oducts/cfl.htm There's an interesting comment on mercury emissions - guess there's a lot going on we don't entirely know about.
The use of energy saving lightbulbs recently became compulsory in UK and, I believe, across Europe. As a result of this the cost of the lightbulbs nose-dived - we bought 5 for £5 which was much cheaper than the cost of a standard lightbulb. My hubby also did an energy use converter which gives a rough calculation of what you can save by switching things off standby and using energy saving lightbulbs. See here: http://www.time.org.uk/energyuse.htm As to them overheating in enclosed spaces, this seems strange. Energy efficient lightbulbs work to save energy as they produce less heat than a standard lightbulb. Perhaps you got the wrong type? See here: http://www.litebulbs.co.uk/exergi-en...ght-bulbs.aspx

As to the water situation, we're in a similar situation over here. The main reasons our water costs increase are down to 3 things, 1) inefficient collection (it doesn't rain so much where the reservoirs are anymore), 2) leaks and 3) old infrastucture. With so many people around there's bound to be a stretch on resource, but I agree it's frustrating. Not that it affects me personally - we haven't paid for water for 4 years because our water metre has been broken all that time and the water company have never fixed it.

But it does make me giggle how het up people get about paying taxes. It'd cost you a heck of a lot more to lay your own roads and if you didn't pay tax your pay would go down by an equivalent amount and you'd still have as much or as little cash in your pocket. Where do your taxes go? They go to pay peoples' wages, the fire service, police department and so on. Actually with our council tax we get a breakdown of how the money is budgeted, and our general taxes go to pay for our government officials to rip us off with their somewhat suspect expenses allocation, as well as the NHS, unemployment benefit, child benefits, schooling, pensions and so on, and so on. It hurts a lot less if you stop thinking of that part of your money as your own - it goes straight from your employer to the government anyway - I only ever think about my take home pay.

:O Virgil, what an outrage. We're going through similar things here, as well. Recession seems to be hitting hard.

Government is just one big hand inside your pocket and a finger up you’re a$$.

There I saved the flare smile for the end. I could have used it dozens of times above.

That was one great rant!!!!!

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/obscene/eck27.gif to the government!

Virgil, our water isn't spring water. It's well water. Our pump is 400 ft. below the ground. We have it tested regularly and it's all good. Fluoride is not as good as it may sound. http://www.fluoridation.com/calgaryh.htm. We avoid cavities by not eating junk and keeping our mouths clean.

Ok, I am resisting my urge to go on a rant about bottled water and how it is the most evil thing known to man

Well I am somehow extremely pleased to have inspired a spirited entry.

As for me I wonder what information that I get is true. Our society has a big problem in understanding what truth really is. There are studies that tell us one thing, studies that tell us another. We learn things in school that are totally not true. So-called "science" teaches us that the earth is billions of years old, but other evidence shows that it isn't near that old.

For instance, we are taught that it takes millions of years to create coal, but we have witnessed that coal has been created within decades...not millions...of years.

We are told that if we use this or that, we are going to destroy our planet. Sometimes I think that it is a great big marketing ploy. It's like the push to "Go organic!!" What does that mean? Organic is healthier...better for the environment? If you remember...it was the"organic" spinach that had the salmonella poisoning a few years back. Spinach (all spinach) is organic...because it is organic.

Now we are to "Go green!!" What does that mean? We need to make sure that we keep our backyard clean, but we need to use our heads about it!!

This world was made with certain safeguards. Whatever we do to it, it can balance things out. We do not have the power to destroy this planet. God will do that when he is ready.

BTW...kilted...I agree!!

You know what? I have had the same old light bulb in the lamp at the head of my bed for the past 5 years. It isn't one of the energy efficient ones either. I use this light all the time (mainly because I have been too lazy to climb up on something to change the ceiling light). All I am saying is that my non-efficient light is actually lasting longer than the one that I was using in the basement, which was efficient. I just felt like mentioning it to you.

You know, Milwaukee's drinking water was always considered pretty good (it comes from Lake Michigan) until we developed the reuptation from the cryptosporidium outbreak about 17 years ago (I was in the 7th grade when it happened). So who knows where it ranks now?!

Wow, quite a few to reply to. Let's see if I can do it.

Fifth, they are billed as environmentally friendly. Your first link talks about global warming and reducing energy. I am not disputing that these bulbs save energy. Office buildings have been using florescent as long as I've been alive. My concern is on the disposal end. I really don't know if people will be respnsible in disposing them. As to water, I got away for a few years way back when our meter was broken. Then the city became fascist over it and threatened to fine me. Actually they started sending e estimated bills. Then i finally had to have it replaced myself out of my pocket. As to taxes, well, my biggest resentment is the forced coercion. And I'm not sure it's always more efficient for the gov't to do some of those things. But that's too complex an argument for here. But no matter what there has to be some limit, despite what good idea the gov't may spend on, to how much is taken. People have their own individual and personal dreams. Look around lit net and you can hear it from everyone. Those dreams cost money. No one is going to give you money to fullfill them and one should not expect the gov't with the threat of jail to force you to give up money that can go toward your dreams. Sure some taxes are unavoidable, but other than taking care of the poor and some basic civic functions I do not want the gov't to tax and spend as much as it does.

Kilt, I know what you mean it's frankly a waste of money. Hey you used to work in a water treatment facility, if I remember correctly.

Bien, I hear what you're saying. I have the same problem with global warming. I think the fault lies with journalism. They seem to report every scienctific study as if it's conclusive fact when it actuality it's in an indeterminant observation, a single data point.

LadyWent, every city says they have the best drinking water.

Sophia, I love that!!! I will have to use it mysef somewhere.

Thanks Becca, Rich, Mom-H.

Yes, that may be true, but I wasn't doing that. I said that we once had good water until it became tainted. So I was actually hinting at the fact that we may now have the complete opposite.

I actually got sick (not severe enough for a hospital or anything). My home room teacher was so mad because I was gone for almost 2 weeks. She said nobody could be sick like that for 2 weeks. Then, like literally a day after her nastiness with me, it was announced that our water had been contaminated. Yeah! She owed me an apology!! I never got one, though.

Originally Posted by Virgil

Your first link talks about global warming and reducing energy. I am not disputing that these bulbs save energy. Office buildings have been using florescent as long as I've been alive. My concern is on the disposal end. I really don't know if people will be respnsible in disposing them.

I think, if you read the link in full that, even if people don't dispose of them responsibly, over the lifespan of the bulb they will emit less mercury into the environment than a standard bulb. The standard bulb itself does not emit mercury but the energy it uses does - the link explains that 30% of all mercury emissions are from energy production - as the standard bulb uses more energy (and that energy is 'wasted' as heat not light) their use will emit more mercury into the environment than the energy efficient bulbs even if these are poorly disposed of. Here, in UK, the bulbs are all sold as 'energy efficient' so whether you believe in climate change or not (which is kind of like saying do you believe in the Holocaust or not given the overwhelming body of evidence - if you want to know the list of scientists which have validated the science, results and conclusions see here (it's a long list!): http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-re...g1-annexes.pdf) it makes financial sense to use less energy.

What overwhelming body of evidence? There is a warming trend, perhaps. The claim is that we have warmed one degree since 1880, that is if we can measure the temperature of the earth to one degree and know what the temperature was back in 1880 to one degree. And given we know how to take the temperature of the entire earth at any given time. And then even if there is a one degree increase we then have to conclude it is man made and not natural variation. There are more holes in this than one can fathom. And I still haven't seen any palpable difference in our climate even if there is.

http://www.ipcc.ch/

The IPCC is a scientific body: the information it provides with its reports is based on scientific evidence and reflects existing viewpoints within the scientific community. The comprehensiveness of the scientific content is achieved through contributions from experts in all regions of the world and all relevant disciplines including, where appropriately documented, industry literature and traditional practices, and a two stage review process by experts and governments.

the initial report was written by over 600 scientists, and verified by over 500 separate institutions. You can read up on it for yourself at their website - the address is above.

I'd love to know what scientific research you've done to draw your own conclusions. I'll openly admit I've done none, it's not my field, and I don't know if climate change is man made, man contributed or a natural event. But the vast majority of the scientific community, experts in their fields, agree that the climate is changing and that is a threat to human existence that concerns us all, a little more than spending an extra dollar here and there. On a personal level I will do whatever small things I can to minimise or slow the progress of or reverse a change which will be, potentially, catastrophic to human beings and if it turns out to be wrong I've still been a good citizen and I can hand off to the next generation with a clear conscience.

I've looked at the data and I've used my engineering judgement. First of all they conveniently picked 1900 as the starting point. That happens to be one of the lower temperature years. If they had picked 1800 as a starting point the temperature increase if you believe their estimates would have been less than 3/4 of degree. So from 1800 to 1900 we actually had cooling trend, and yet we had lots of industry adding greenhouse gases. Second I've already mentioned the inaccuracy in measuring temperature. Third I asked how they come up with a global temperature. I can answer that: they use a computer model. I'm very familiar with computer modeling; we use it at work to predict stress analysis and when parts are going to break. Modeling has come a long way, but in no way is it precise, and the precision is dependant on knowing all the variables and their magnitudes. Well, when it comes to earth's temperature there is no way anyone is going to convince me they know all the variables. How have they factored in variation of sun intensity (sun spots cause all sorts of intensity changes) and how about earth's internal temperature or extra ordinary volcanic activity? And how do they know about what the magnitudes of all those variables are and what they were hundreds of years ago and whether we are even aware of all the variables? When it comes for us to model stresses in mechanical parts we know all the variables because the design is fixed by design. And even then we get occaisionally fooled when we forget something or weren't aware of something or other. And we never make a conclusion with small numbers. We need gross figures to reach conclusions. Modeling is not an exact science and anyone telling me that results are definitive to the magnitude of measurement error (one degree) is not credible. Is there a temperature increase? Probably some. Is it a degree over the last hundred years? I'm skeptical. Do we know the cause definitely? No. I may be a combnation of nautral factors and man made and what percentage is anyone's guess. There is even now scientists who are claiming that the warming trend is over or has stalled, and yet the models from a few years ago did not predict this. There are over 31,000 scientists who have expressed reservation on this in a scientific poll. To give global warming its due, the evidence is murky and taking sudden action which can harm the economy is not warrented at this time. But alas this has entered the political realm and so politicians have an issue to smack each other with.