Yesterday was Earth Day. What does one say to recognize the day? What did I do to recognize the day? Not too much, actually. I did my usual recycling, went about my day as I usually do, and that is about it. Matthew's school recognized the day by encouraging the kids to create as little waste as possible in the lunches they brought to school. The class with the least amount of waste was to win a prize of some sort. So, I spent a few minutes in the morning trying to create a lunch for him that produced little waste. I packed a lunchable and lots of ziplock bags full of things, and a capri sun. Kind of a large footprint for one day's lunch, but I did put his pretzels in a small container we had rather than a ziplock bag-a weak attempt, but better than nothing! Needless to say, his class did not win, not with parents like me out there using plastic bags that get thrown away after one use.
When I was a kid, I used to scour books on recycling, and I even created my own compost pile. My mom was thrilled, as you can imagine, to find a pile of trash along the side of the house mixed with worms I probably dug up in the flower garden she most likely just planted. I wanted to save the whales and the rain forests and the ozone.
How do I feel now? Our Earth is our home, and I believe we should take care of it and teach our children to do the same. Respect for the Earth, and the plants, animals and people on it is an important value I want my kids to have. In hindsight (by just one day), I think that next year I will do more to acknowledge the day.
Having said all of that, I think there are some crazy people out there who go a bit overboard when it comes to saving the Earth. Mike and I sometimes watch Glenn Beck, and I happened to catch it yesterday and found Glenn demonstrating what to do in case a flourescent lightbulb breaks in your home. It was quite funny, and scary, watching the "procedure" for a broken lightbulb demonstrated. I was laughing, but seriously, lightbulbs break so easily and the flourescent ones are extremely hazardous to your health when they do break. These lightbulbs designed to save energy and our planet contain as much mercury as a mercury-filled thermometer. In fact, a week ago Mike placed a lightbulb in his pocket that he was preparing to switch out with a dead bulb, and it shattered. We did not follow the proper procedures at all! We should have thrown his pants out (really, this is part of the appropriate disposal if the lightbulb comes into contact with your clothing), but we washed them with all our other clothes instead! We shook the contents into our indoor trash can...Bad, bad, BAD! That is just asking for my family to be poisoned by mercury. Knowledge is power, but sometimes, knowledge is scary. I think I'd just like my old lightbulbs back, where, worse case scenario, I cut myself on the glass or get annoyed when I bust a bulb.
I included part of the flourescent lightbulb demonstration as seen on Glenn Beck to the right under "Halarious Videos", or you can click here.
Also, because I don't want to see any of my friends or family poisoned by mercury, please take a moment (in all seriousness) to review the steps below for how to properly dispose of your "energy-saving" flourescent lightbulb in case it breaks.
The Steps (yes, I'm serious, I already said that!!):
Before Clean-up:
Air Out the RoomHave people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug
Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials
If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage. You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb. If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug:
Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
