Yes, they think we are that stupid...

"We are taking away a choice that continues to let people waste their own money”-Energy Secretary Stephen Chu [discussing the ban on the incandescent light bulb]

This particular decision also takes away a few other choices as well. Among them is the choice to not buy light bulbs that each contain enough mercury into my house that would cause a hazardous chemical spills if broken and which also require the following clean up steps if one becomes broken:

1. Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

Have 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.

2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass fragments 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 pieces 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.

3. 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.

4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.:

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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs, visit http://www.energystar.gov/cfls

For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs and mercury, visit

http://www.energystar.gov/mercury

Let us take a look at all of the new freedoms that come with CFLs.

We will be free to be at the mercy of the elements for the time it takes to follow the clean up steps above because we have to turn off our heating or cooling units whenever a bulb is broken in our homes.

We will be free to avoid the use of brooms or vacuums to clean up broken bulbs on our hard wood floors.

We are free to stockpile sealable jars and plastic bags in the event of light bulb breakages.

We are free to trash any fabrics that are exposed to the broken bulbs and free to avoid using our washing machines to try to clean them.

We will be free to make the choice to keep our clothing if it is simply exposed to the mercury Vapor from a broken bulb and only forced to throw away those things that actually touched what was being cleaned.

We will be free to continue to have to turn off our heating and cooling units for the next “several times we vacuum our tainted rugs.

We will be free to pollute the environment with the internal combustion engines in our cars as we take the hazardous materials to government approved recycling centers after the cleanup as they cannot be tossed in with the rest of the normal trash.

So the question is whether we should all go give Stephen Chu a big hug for all of the new freedoms he is trying to force on us or whether we should open our eyes and see him for the amazing ass that he is.

The answer is an easy one.