Smarter: Congress or Dying Sea Monkeys?

On December 19, 2007, Congress passed and the President signed a bill that outlaws the use of incandescent light bulbs by 2014. Since the government can't do anything all at one time, it's a phased withdrawal. 100-watt light bulbs are illegal starting in 2010 with the 40-watt going the way of the dodo in 2014.

While Congress hasn't told us how to wipe our arses yet, they are telling us how to light our homes. The instructions and limitations on Charmin use are only so far off, boys and girls.

But that's not the point here. Al Gore and the rest of the global warming nazis have all but mandated that compact fluorescent light bulbs are to replace the evil incandescent light bulbs. The problem? Well, it puts off a fraction of light compared to the old style, and oh yeah - you have to mobilize the entire EPA if you break one.

Ok, it's not that bad, but it's not good either. Here's what the EPA says you should do if you break a CFL:

1. Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15 minutes. If you have fans, place the fans in the windows and blow the air out of the room. Note: If the room has no windows, open all doors to the room and windows outside the room and use fans to move the air out of the room and to the open windows.

2. Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner.
- Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare hands).
- Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard.
- Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
- Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.

3.Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it, and then place in a second sealed plastic bag.
-If no other disposal or recycling options are available, private residents may dispose of the CFL in residential garbage. Be sure to seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash.
-Wash your hands after disposing of the bags.

4. The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

Only the federal government could take something as simple as "clean up broken glass" and turn it into a 4-step, day long process. And what's up with double-bagging the broken pieces? I'm not an expert, but I'm willing to bet using two plastic bags, which are not good for the environment, starts to eat into the efficiency benefits of using the stupid CFL's.

Let's not forget that plastic is a petroleum based product. Higher oil prices translate into higher prices for plastic products (not to mention the gas you have to use to drive your double-bagged mercury bomb to the dump), and if you listen to Al Gore, Harry Reid, and the other global warming Super Friends, oil is a poison.

So let's bring this one home. Congress, in order to save money and improve the overall efficiency of the country, outlawed the incandescent light bulb. The replacement costs more money (3 times as much in some cases), doesn't provide nearly as much light (which means you use more lightbulbs to accomplish the same thing); if you break a bulb, you have to use 2 not-good-for-the-environment plastic bags, drive it to a landfill, and then go buy more "efficient" CFL's.

Thanks, government. Where would we be without you?

Al Gore Is A Moron

About a year ago, Al Gore's monthly energy costs were big news. Al and the Gore clan live in a swanky mansion outside Nashville, and according to the local utility companies, they use about 10 times as much electricity, water, and gas as a typical single family home. There's also the massive amount of carbon dioxide Al Gore emits flying in a private jet around the world, telling everyone that doing things like flying private jets is going to destroy the world next week.

Of course the global warming skeptics pointed to this hypocritical behavior and basically called Al a modern day snake oil salesman. Al's counter? He buys carbon offsets, in his eyes, his carbon footprint is non existent.

The theory behind carbon offsets is this - people who have large carbon footprints "buy" unused carbon emissions from people who are not using their allotted amount. This begs the question - who determines how much carbon one person is allowed? Great question. Does anyone know who determines this magical number? Wait - since carbon is so bad, wouldn't it be better if we just do less carbon emitting activities instead of buying imaginary offsets that really don't reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the first place?

Anyway - back to Al's mansion - shortly after the story broke last year, Al made a pledge to make his house more energy efficient - solar panels, compact fluorescent light bulbs, geothermal heat, etc. To his credit, he actually did install said items. And what good did it do? Ironically enough - about the same amount of good as buying a carbon offset. Instead of reducing the amount of energy used, Al's efforts to make his home greener resulted in a massive increase in energy use.

According to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research:

"Since taking steps to make his home more environmentally-friendly last June, Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration."

Just to put those numbers into perspective - Al Gore uses enough energy in one month to power over 200 typical American homes for a month. I bet Al keeps the AC pumping 24 hours a day too.

And in case you're wondering how Al can afford the $16,500 monthly energy bills, it's estimated that he has increased his wealth by about $100 million thanks to global warming speaking fees and investments that did very well thanks to global warming hysteria.