A healthy environment, be it your lawn, your house or your body, creates healthy living.

I have many posts on "unhealthy" environment, be it food, drink or plastic, etc. on my blog.

Therapeutic grade essential oils are my favorite, when it comes to effective health support. However, I also value freshly made wheat grass juice, fresh aloe, cayenne pepper, clay, living foods, kelp, dulse, and wild herbs.

Most importantly - don't get scared. Your body constantly tries to cleanse itself. You just have to assist it.

EndoShield - can help you maintain overall vitality with a proprietary blend of essential oils that support the endocrine system

QuadShield - these products can have a synergistic, protective effect on your hormonal and immune systems.

Golden Touch 1 Essential Oil Collection - provides immune protection all throughout the year

My favorite oil/blends for cleansing are Longevity, Lemongrass, and Lemon.

For full information, please read attached pages below.

Longevity contains Frankincense and Thyme, two of the most powerful regenerating essential oils, plus Clove and Orange. It comes in capsules and in a 15-ml bottle.

As far as cleaning the house, and doing laundry, I use good-old Thieves Cleaner.

Body Balancing And Support After Vaccinations with Young Living Essential Oils

http://eugeniyamusic.blogspot.com/2013/05/detoxing-from-vaccinations-with-young.html

Liver Support Using Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential OIls

http://eugeniyamusic.blogspot.com/2013/11/heavy-metals-detox.html

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs: do they save us anything and the health risks, is it worth it?

Going ‘Green’ and saving money is big business these days which means we have new choices to make and new challenges to consider. One happens to be the light-bulbs we choose to use in our homes. While we might save $30 a year using the compact fluorescent light-bulb it’s extremely important to know and consider the safety and the safe disposal of these. But, are these things really ‘Green’ and worth having???

I learned about this two years ago when my first compact fluorescent light-bulb died, it didn’t even last a year, the fixture it was in was hardly ever used, and it was never bumped. I was disappointed about the short lifespan, I had heard these types of bulbs lasted much longer than incandescent, I had incandescent bulbs that lasted much longer than this expensive compact fluorescent. The compact fluorescent bulbs are suppose to have a lifespan between 8 and 15 times of an incandescent bulb (this bulb had nowhere near that lifespan), I probably got a dud.

I was about to toss the bulb into the garbage like usual when I thought…

“I wonder what these bulbs are made out of???”

Fluorescent light-bulbs are made of a glass tube containing a low pressure mixture of gases including mercury. The tubes are coated with fluorescent chemicals. When the current is switched on, the starting mechanisms at each end of the lamp produce electrons that excite the gases inside the tube and make them release ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This UV radiation hits the fluorescent coating, which produces light. The color of the light produced depends on the chemical composition of the coating. Some fluorescent lamps emit more blue light than conventional incandescent lamps and therefore simulate daylight better.

It turns out they contain mercury, it was a good thing that I wondered and looked into what was in them, I would have been upset to later find out that I contributed to putting mercury into a landfill. While this type of bulb may save electricity, I certainly do NOT find it eco-friendly at all; in it’s production or in it’s use and disposal.

I also discovered… If your ENERGY STAR qualified CFL product burns out before it should, look at the CFL base to find the manufacturer’s name. Visit the manufacturer’s web site to find the customer service contact information to inquire about a refund or replacement. Manufacturers producing ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs are required to offer at least a two-year limited warranty (covering manufacturer defects) for CFLs used at home. In the future, save your receipts to document the date of purchase.

What you need to know to use compact fluorescent bulbs safely

• They can pose health risks through their emitted ultraviolet and blue light, the radiation could aggravate symptoms in people who suffer skin conditions that make them sensitive to light.

• When individuals are exposed to the light produced by some single-envelope compact fluorescent light-bulbs for long periods of time at distances of less than 20 cm, it could lead to ultraviolet exposures approaching the current workplace limit set to protect workers from skin and retinal damage.1

• Can damage proteins and DNA in the skin and eyes, especially ultraviolet radiation with short wavelengths (UVCs).

• Some people are particularly susceptible to UV radiation and become sunburned even after extremely low exposures or show abnormal allergy-like skin reactions.1

• Have a glass envelope which filters out ultraviolet radiation but, in some cases, some UV radiation can get through. Using double glass envelopes dramatically reduces the amount of UV radiation emitted.

• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) emit light and some UV radiation, but their electronic circuitry – like any electronic or electric device – also generates some electromagnetic fields. In contrast to conventional incandescent lamps that only generate low frequency electric and magnetic fields, compact fluorescent lamps generate both low and intermediate frequency fields. The exact frequency range depends on the type of lamp.

• Some people suffering from various health conditions not related to the skin claim that the use of fluorescent lamps aggravates their symptoms. Such a link is not supported by scientific evidence yet. The concerns have been attributed to different characteristics of energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), namely flicker, the ultraviolet radiation and blue light they produce, and electromagnetic fields.

• Flicker in general can induce migraine and even seizures in some epileptic patients.

• There is some evidence that blue light in general can aggravate retinal diseases in susceptible people.

• Photophobia, an abnormal sensitivity to light, is induced or aggravated by different light conditions.

• Several drugs cause skin problems when used in combination with exposure to light. Compact fluorescent lamps are unlikely to be a problem. In the treatment of some cancers, several drugs are used that are activated by exposure to light and that can cause skin problems in some patients.

(Double envelope fluorescent light bulb shown in image to right.)

Mercury: its impact on humans and the environment

Mercury is a heavy metal, sometimes known as quicksilver, that occurs naturally in the environment in different chemical forms. The pure form, elemental mercury, is liquid at room temperature and slowly forms a vapour in the air.

Because mercury is one of the basic chemical elements, of which all things are made, it cannot be broken down or degraded into something else. Once released into the biosphere through natural events or human activities (see Question 4), mercury readily moves and cycles through the environment. Soil, water bodies and the sediments underneath them are believed to be the places where mercury comes to rest until it is ultimately removed from the biosphere again.

Being an element, mercury cannot be broken down or degraded into harmless substances. Mercury may change between different states and species in its cycle, but its simplest form is elemental mercury, which is harmful to humans and the environment. Once mercury has been liberated from ores or from fossil fuel and mineral deposits hidden in the earth’s crust and released into the biosphere, it can be highly mobile, cycling between the earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Soil surface’s, rivers/lakes/streams, and bottom sediments are thought to be the primary biospheric sinks for mercury.

For the environment, the form of mercury influences how readily it can move within and between the atmosphere and oceans, and how far it can travel in the air. For instance, elemental mercury vapour can stay in the atmosphere long enough to travel around the world, whereas other forms of mercury may fall back to earth relatively close to their source.

Mercury and its compounds are highly toxic substances for both humans and organisms in the environment because it can accumulate in organisms.

The harmful effects that different forms of mercury can have on living things are greatly influenced by bioaccumulation (build up inside an organism) and biomagnification (build up along the food chain).

All forms of mercury can accumulate in organisms. However, methylmercury is taken up at a faster rate than other forms and bioaccumulates to a greater extent.

Mercury in fish is passed on to the predators at the top of the food chain (e.g. humans, seabirds, seals, otters, eagles and ospreys) and how much they accumulate depends on the type and size of fish they eat.

Methylmercury is a poison to the central nervous system, affects reproduction, pregnant women should avoid foods and products containing mercury as it can affect the health of the unborn child, the kidneys are the organs most vulnerable to damage from inorganic mercury, mercury is reducing microbiological activity in our soils, there are indications that climate change might also increase the levels of methylmercury in water in some areas, and its accumulation in fish.

Some of the mercury vapor inside fluorescent light bulbs becomes bound to the inside of the light bulb as it is used. The EPA estimates that the rest of the mercury within a CFL – about 14 percent – is released into air or water when it is sent to a landfill, assuming the light bulb is broken. Therefore, if all 290 million CFLs sold in 2007 were sent to a landfill (versus recycled, as a worst case) – they would add 0.16 metric tons, or 0.16 percent, to U.S. mercury emissions caused by humans.2

Clearly, we do NOT want to add any further mercury to our lives, or the environment!

The Problem with Disposal

Now that we have a ‘hazardous’ material in our homes and now that regulations are making Compact fluorescent lamps the only light bulbs we can sell and buy, we have a big problem on our hands. How do we safely dispose of these hazardous items?

I just searched Earth911.org to find local recycling centers in my area for compact fluorescent lamps and found it is extremely inconvenient to dispose of them responsibly and safely. Take a look here at the number of places that take collection of these bulbs for the entire southeast. If this isn’t the most irresponsible thing I’ve seen I don’t know what is!

I do not like that proper disposal centers are not very well established and PROMOTED; more emphasis is always put on convincing us to buy things, rather than how to dispose of them responsibly when we are through with them. We can expect to see in the future news reoprts of mercury oozing from landfills and damages to humans and wildlife due to the lack of education on these bulbs. And we wonder why the health of this country is appalling.

While it’s nice to think that most of us ‘will’ handle these bulbs responsibly, I think we also know that a large portion of the population is just going to pitch them wherever.

How Do You Clean-up After a Fluorescent Bulb Breaks

Because CFLs contain mercury, the EPA (EnergyStar Mercury fact sheet) recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

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 longer.

• 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 if using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with a 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 Rugs

• Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with a 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 or 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 you were wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials of 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 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: Ait 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 windows open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

My Comments About the EPA Guidelines (above) for Broken Bulb Clean-up and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

• If this is the best lighting product they have in their arsenal, I think they need to go back to the drawing board because this item is by no means Green, eco-friendly, or even worth manufacturing in my opinion. I find it an environmental and household hazard.

• I do NOT feel that these guidelines are adequate or safe.

• I think that the US government is completely out of their minds for allowing this type of item to be manufactured and made available to the consumer.

• If they think the above guidelines are going to be completed well by the average consumer, they ARE out of their minds!

• If they even think that, without adequate promotion of this content, all consumers are going to know these details they’re out of their minds!

• What about the pieces of glass and powder we miss during clean-up??? We ALL know that when a regular light bulb breaks that we find tiny pieces for months afterwards (even the best of cleaner-uppers miss some).

• Geez, this sounds a lot like dumping our garbage in the ocean and thinking it will simply go away… it’s not, it will come back to bite us all in the butt!

• And, what about us, our kids, and our pets after we clean-up the mess… we sit on the floor, kids and pets play, lay, sit, and sleep on our floors… to think for even a second that these extremely hazardous light bulbs should be allowed in the home without adequate safety education FIRST, and EASY access to proper disposal… I know they ARE completely out of their minds!!!

This whole thing with the lovely little sugar-coated label of “EnergyStar” on fluorescent bulbs has to be one the worst products made available to the consumer since asbestos floor tiles, and agent orange in household pesticides (to name just two)… they’ve GOT to be kidding to think this is a great idea!

This whole thing reminds me of an old advertising poster/magazine article…

“DDT is good for me-e-e!” Magazine advertisement.

How many of you are old enough to remember those scenes and ads on TV showing them spraying towns and cities with DDT to take care of mosquitoes… while everyone, children included were outdoors playing and directly getting sprayed?

Fortunately, my mother and aunt forced us to come in and stay indoors when the spray truck came by – I suppose instinctively they knew we were being lied to back them (just like we continue to be lied to for profits) that this stuff is perfectly fine to have and use.

We do NOT need to have anymore hazardous materials forced down our throats and be conditioned into believing they are good for us.

I’m getting pretty sick and tired of the manipulation and lies for profits.

How about you?

posted at http://younglivingcircleblog.com/2010/04/21/compact-fluorescent-lightbulbs-safe-or-risky/#more-5375