Shakespeare would have written the tale of Smart Meters, and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, as a tragedy

With many apologies to William Shakespeare, and those who love literature, today I present the following ditty’s which through my head doth did blossom …

Claudio … from Much Ado About Nothing (IV, i, 19-21)

"O, what Christy’s men and women dare do! What Liberals may do! What they daily do, not knowing what they do!"

Juliet

"What's in a name? That which we call a “smart” meter

By any other name would smell as bad and as foul."

Macbeth:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted bulbs

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief compact fluorescent bulb!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

Christy struts and frets her hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

Richard … from King Richard III (V, iii, 179)

"O Smart-Meter, how dost thou afflict me!"

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:

Thou art thyself, though not anything we would recognize.

What's Liberal? It is not fiscally responsible,

Nor having a social conscience,
nor any other part belonging to a man.

O be some other name!

What's in a name? That which we call a Federal Liberal would smell as bad;

So Christy would, were she not Liberal call'd,

Make all the pay-offs which she owes

Without that Liberal title. Christy, doff thy name,

and for thy name, which is no part of thee,

Take all the glory thee doth seek.

Claudio … from Much Ado About Nothing (V, iii, 3-4)

"Done to death by scheming tongue

Was the Smart-Meter that here lies"

Health Care, BC Hydro, Run of River Projects, Education, BC Rail, the Carbon Tax, HST and more

For those who drop by on any kind of regular basis, you will know that a couple weeks back I asked people to let me know the most important things that government needs to do.  I was looking for the things that impacted each of us personally, as well as family, friends, and neighbors.

Some that came in will likely strike a strong positive cord, some perhaps not so.  This list of ideas and thoughts however is presented for you to think about and consider in how if implemented they would change the way government operates, and provides services to us.

So that no one thinks I am ranking them, I have prepared this list in alphabetical order – simply grouping the ideas as best I could under headings.

Read on, and then if you care to, give some feedback on these ideas.  Do you agree?? – disagree?? --  and why.

Environment – Conservatism – and a ‘Tree-Hugger’

In recent weeks I have been encouraging both Conservatives … as well as residents of the region who are interested in exploring new ways to improve how we are governed in this province … to send in their ideas.

There have been many well thought out ideas presented, including a number of people who spoke with passion and concern for the environment ... solar energy ... and the negative impact of the Carbon Tax on people who live outside the greater Vancouver area.

Want to know what they’ve had to say?  Well read on …

·         My concern is government taking on a mantel of being green because it is popular rather than scientifically sound.  The issue of carbon taxes is front and center in my mind.  The rational for them is unfounded in science and faulty.  Included are the alternate energy sources that are subsidized by the rate payer.  If they are a good idea let them stand on their own economic merits.  Let’s reduce government and reduce taxes--our children will be better off.

·         The Carbon tax is a big issue for the folks who live in all the outlining areas of the province – it penalizes us unfairly because of our postal code.  The intent of the Carbon Tax was to lower the demand for fuel by making it increasingly expensive.  Outside the lower mainland, B.C. has winter for at least six months each year, and there are long distances to travel. Both homeowners and businesses depend on fossil fuels for warmth and transportation.  Heating and transportation are not choices, they are necessities.  The lower mainland, with its more clement climate and varieties of readily available transport, has not been affected by the carbon tax to the same degree as the rest of the Province.

CFLs … Mercury … and making a shaker for kids

When you were younger did you ever do what many kids did years ago … turn an old light bulb into a maraca or shaker?  We would take them and multi-layer the light bulbs with strips of old newspapers dipped in flour paste – and add a handle from the same materials.  Once the covering over the old light bulb was thick enough, and the glue was dry, you would smack it on a hard surface to break the bulb and voila --- you had a maraca, or shaker.  Add a coat of paint and it became a work of art.

Well don’t expect to do that with our new Energy Saver Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) – they are dangerous!  Do a Google Search to dispose of these things and what do you find??

Variety of CFL's available for sale

CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing - an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.  There is currently no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products over the past decade.

Okay so maybe it isn’t so bad after all. But, if that is true, then why do I also find the following from a news story in the Vancouver Sun dated January 11^th, 2011?

Improperly discarded CFLs could release mercury into landfills and watersheds. Because coal-fired power plants release a significant amount of mercury into the atmosphere, governments hope that reducing our energy needs for lighting with longer-lasting, more efficient CFLs will mitigate the amount of mercury released into the environment.