by Sarah Barendse

Created on: June 29, 2009   Last Updated: June 30, 2009

Excuse me for being overly blunt here, but Global Warming is a crock of hooey. There is no such thing as Global Warming. Everyone loves to jump on the band wagon and feel like they are joining the noble and good people of the planet, but if you actually do some research, you will see that this is just the natural progression of time on the planet.

Change is inevitable. The techtonic plates have been shifting since the beginning of time. Continents drift, weather conditions change and animals become extinct. Yes, we are sad when the animals in danger of this are cute fuzzy and loved, but it has and always will be this way. If they cannot adapt to our changing world, they are as a species, wiped out.

People are so quick to believe everything on Television and in the news papers. Take fluorescent light bulbs for example. California already has mandated that a certain percentage of your home must use these new "green" fluorescent bulbs, claiming that they will save you money and save the planet.

This could not be farther from the truth. Fluorescent light bulbs are expensive, a lot more so than the incandescent bulbs we all grew up with. They use the reasoning that they will last far longer. This is also only a half truth depending on where in your home you utilize them. Fluorescent bulbs are rated by number of hours yes, but what they don't put on the package is that they are also rated by the number of starts.

They serve well in non-residential applications because they are left on all day and for long periods of time. That is where the energy savings comes in. If you have them in your home, where it is constantly being turned on and off, guess what folks, its going to burn out way more quickly that touted on the box. If you really want to save money through lighting, install dimmers. Not only will they save you money, they make your home more comfortable and livable.

Think of it this way - you wouldn't buy a radio without a volume control, so why buy lights that only go on full blast? An even bigger problem that they seem to be ignoring is that these bulbs are filled with mercury. Mercury is poisonous and toxic to humans.

If you break a fluorescent bulb you need to leave that room immediately, taking all pets with you until the dust settles completely. Then do not use a broom. They suggest rubber gloves to pick up all of the broken glass and then with paper, sweep the dust up and put it in a sealed container. Of course even if you do all of this, what are you going to do with it? Are most Americans going to drive this container to a recycling center? I dont think so. They are going to throw it out where it will leak into our land fills and from there, into the water that we drink.

So Global warming? Saving the planet? It sounds like a good cause. But please before you dive headfirst and start making your world "GREEN", do some research. Don't be one of the spoon fed masses that believes everything they hear.

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