Hydrogen emissions?

Five reasons… ok, let’s see…

1. Producing the hydrogen. The extraction method involves the use of fossil fuels, which we all know produce CO2 if burned.

2. Producing the car. Gotta power those car buildin’ robots somehow, right?

3. The heater will still emit C02.

Um…

…number 4…

Er…

Do I get any lifelines here?

I’m coming up blank after that. Are you sure there’s that many? Five? I’ve got… three. I think it’s only three. Three sounds about right…

…I’ll use that phone call.

The Trading Game

They’ve figured us out. Code Red. Abandon ship. Defcon 1. Tear down this wall.

That’s right. The crafty lads at the Wall Street Journal have blown the lid off another scandal. This time, they’re getting upset about government/corporate relationships (hahaha! oh, wait, really?). If you didn’t ALREADY know, the powerful lightbulb lobbyists have had their way again with our “democracy,” getting a law passed making CFLs a substitute for good ol’ incadenscents. DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM ALL! Playing with our administration just to turn a buck!

CFLs can cost up to 10 times more!! Yeah, thats a ZERO after that one.

Anyways, its obvious this is all profit oriented. I mean, you could be paying nearly FORTY CENTS more for a pack of fifteen!!

The humanity.

Except…

Let’s start at the beginning. So, you buy this outrageously priced lightbulb. Now what? Well, not a whole lot. That’s the good thing. You put it in. Then you sit there. You keep sitting, and then you’re all “Shouldn’t I have changed a light bulb now?!”

No, silly! ITS CFL! They last quite a bit longer then those incandescents of yesteryear. By the way, the cost of a product is usually proportional to its quality. So cough up the pennies.

CFLs are also more efficient. So while you’re sitting, looking at your shiny new bulbs, here’s whats going down:

There’s less energy being used (energy efficient). So, less coal is being burned to light your house. Thus, you have less landscape destruction due to coal mining, which will not only save animal and plant life, but humans as well; coal mining has never been and never will be a safe occupation. Less coal means less mercury runoff and particulate emissions into the air. This means less cancer all around, and better health to boot.

What happens when you changed those old bulbs? Went right into the garbage, right? Right. Well, now you’re doing a whole lot less throwing out. Now we don’t need as many landfills, which FURTHERS habitat conservation and public health. Looking kind of good, eh?

OK, so you seem to be pretty well off with these CFLs. But if you have any reservations, consider this: If the energy companies aren’t opening new mines, which cost ALOT, and hiring new miners, AND is using less coal, you, the end user, are going to pay less for your energy bill. And then you’re going to pay even less because – get this – youre not using as much energy! Full circle there, eh?

Eventually too, the cost of these guys will most likely go down as they become more run of the mill products, as opposed to more “specialty” in a sense, as they are now. For example, last year’s iPods started about 350-375. This year’s, for the same amount of memory, improved graphics and interface, and all the same features (games, movies, etc.), they’re going for about 250. You can get a cell phone now for 30 bucks. A computer might run you 450 USD. See the pattern? Moreover, see the benefits??

Now you’re cooking with compact fluorescents!

..if you have an easy bake oven.