"We are in a planetary emergency."

[Savannahmann]

76. It is insane isn't it?

I mean, we take something simple, like tissues, and then transport it around the world several times. By the time we're done, the bloody thing has the carbon footprint of a Jumbo Jet. Once you take that into account, you're just better off keeping the old car, and maintaining it, than you are buying a Prius. The same is true of electric cars. Yes, they have a smaller carbon footprint regarding operation, but the manufacturing of the various components, including the batteries, includes extensive transport and mining of rare earth elements which is hardly an ecological process. The factory where they refine the Lead in Canada is used by NASA to simulate Mars for rovers. The terrain is as lifeless near the factory. Canada has one of the most pure gold available, highly prized and sought after by collectors. The reason that Canadian gold is so pure? They use Arsenic in the refining process, which is released into the atmosphere.

Other times, we are in such a hurry to get to the future, we grab something that is as bad, if not worse, than we are doing. Yes, Incandescenlight bulbsbs are wasteful. They produce a huge amount of heat, and use a ton of electricity. Yes CFL's are more efficient, but they use Mercury as part of the process. If the bulb is dropped and breaks, you literally have a toxic spill in your house. If a company spilled that much Mercury in a factory, it would require a Haz Mat Cleanup. In your home, the EPA says to sweep it gently onto a piece of paper, and then fold the paper up and dispose of it. Well, if that is all that it takes to clean up the Mercury spilled, why do we make the companies spend tens of thousands of dollars to clean it up? Because the Mercury isn't cleaned up that way, if you vacuum the stuff it flies everywhere. One broken bulb and you have toxic levels of Mercury in your home with your children running through it, breathing it, and nobody knows what will happen down the line, but it won't be good.

LED's are good, but they use circuit boards to operate, which contain toxins that leech into our ground water from dumps. Or if your area incinerates its trash, like mine does, then it is released into the air.

Granted, they use less electricity, but is the resulting pollution from disposal any better? FYI I have switched to LED's almost exclusively for the house. My flashlights are all LED's, and the only incandescent bulbs left are in emergency lights plugged into sockets and headlights/taillights on cars. The emergency lights when they fail will be replaced (presuming the bulb can't be) with LED oriented lights.

Personally, I think we are doomed as a species, and if we are all eliminated by our own stupidity, then I'm certain Gaia will conclude, Good riddance.