we need more deregulation of our industry! right?

What if it is coming from the compact fluorescent bulbs the EPA is shoving down our throats? Oh, no!!

Seems to me this article relates back to the coal fired energy plants article. Coal fired plants are the biggest source of mercury on the planet. We all know that in fish mercury works up the food chain. Unlike the buffoonish post by rascal1234 about the new highly efficient bulbs, as I said, it is a well known fact that the mercury in the environment is from coal fired power plants. So in a state that has a large dependence on fishing income, we are potentially creating an environmental disaster, by favoring a coal fired plant, that will potentially preclude people from actually wanting to consume fish? Brilliant.

After reading story after story about a mercury scare, and not to belittle the possible effects of mercury contamination, i have to add my two cents worth. I am old, by most people's standard, and when i was young, i with a lot of others my age played with mercury from broken thermometers. Others my age have confirmed the same experiences. We would roll the ball of mercury around in our hands, even on our tongue, a favorite thing to do was taking a coin and rubbing the mercury on it until it shined a bright silvery color. Somehow, we survived as did no doubt thousands of others my age who did the same thing. The attention given to a mercury incident is way out of proportion to the possible outcomes.

rascal1234 - since a CFL uses 25% of the power an incandescent bulb uses, it means less coal is burned. So, there is a net decrease in mercury even if the CFL isn't properly recycled. And its not like its that hard to recycle the darn thing anyhow -- Home Depot and Menards both take them for free. Here's a source backing up my claim: http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cfl-hg.html Is your question based on any research? Or just thrown out to poke at others who don't share your political views?

mustachjack - why is it that so many people use the excuse that if it doesn't kill me it must be safe? If you would do any research on mercury it does not kill unless in small amounts. What it does do is cause brain damage, lowering peoples IQ.

Clean coal is an oxymoron.

It is not just the mercury from coal-fired power plants around the world. If that were the case Wisconsin and Michigan would have the same kind of numbers as Minnesota - 10% - instead of 3% and 0%. The rest of the story is sulfates, primarily from Minnesota's taconite mines, that trigger the production of methylmercury. Methylmercury, the toxic form of mercury that bioaccumulates in fish and then in our newborns whose mothers eat those fish. So what does Minnesota do about it - blame the mothers who eat the fish - instead of cleaning up the taconite industry and other polluters. Hold industry accountable, curtail the sulfates, and mercury in our fish would drop significantly and so would the risk to our children.