Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Please sign the petition


Please sign this petition asking Congress to amend the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 to meet the objective of promoting energy efficiency while also protecting the health of Americans who will be negatively affected by Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.

Saving energy and putting less waste into landfills is a worthwhile and noble goal. However, the decision of the U.S. Congress to mandate phasing out of incandescent light bulbs is of grave concern to citizens whose health is adversely affected by compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

The Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007, which was signed into law in December 2007, mandates phasing out incandescent light bulbs in favor of energy efficient bulbs starting in 2012. While CFL use is not required by this legislation, CFLs will undoubtedly become more common. They are more affordable than other options, such as light emitting diode (LED) lighting. Additionally, many people are simply unaware of the potential harm they hold for people with certain health conditions and do not know to avoid their use.

For some people with migraine disease, CFLs trigger debilitating migraine attacks. Migraines impact more than 32 million Americans and have a devastatingly negative influence on the economy and the lives of those who are plagued by them. According to the Irlen Institute, research at the University of Birmingham in England showed that many migraine sufferers are sensitive to the flickering from fluorescent lighting, TV screens, and computer monitors. Proponents of switching to CFLs often claim newer CFLs do not have the visible flicker of older CFLs and regular fluorescent light bulbs. However, just because the flicker is imperceptible to the eye does not render it imperceptible to the brain. The brains of migraineurs are extremely sensitive and tend to overreact to stimuli that would not bother the ordinary person. In fact, most migraineurs experience photophobia, extreme sensitivity to light, during an attack.

CFLs negatively affect some people with other health conditions, too, such as lupus, epilepsy, and autism. People whose health is affected by CFLs will become increasingly shut out of public life as businesses and institutions switch to CFLs. They will be rendered unable to do even the most basic tasks, such as banking, grocery shopping and other daily errands.  (More than fifteen minutes in WalMart and I begin to feel a migraine coming on.)

 CFLs have been identified as a trigger that brings on an attack for some people with the genetic tendency to experience migraines.

The concern about CFLs triggering migraines is in no way based on
a hostility toward protecting the environment. In fact, we acknowledge
that there are alternatives to CFLs that meet the same ecological
objectives without putting the health of millions of citizens at risk,
such as LED light sources. Rather, this is a public accommodation issue. Spaces open to the public should be strongly encouraged to use LED lighting so that everyone can safely participate in life outside the confines of their homes.

Thank you for supporting this effort.

To sign the petition:  

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I am a salesperson for Frank Emory Publishing. www.frankemory.com