Europe to Ban An Element

The Chinese discovered it in 2000 B.C, the Egyptians discovered it in 1500 B.C, the Romans even used it in cosmetics. Now the European Union wants to ban it:

Mercury is poisonous, rots the brain and is a general menace, Brussels says. Therefore, no more shiny quicksilver in your weather instruments.

Well, no one wants to have their brain rotted out, and we certainly don't want any menaces, that's for sure.

So, eff mercury and the horse it rode in (and up and down) on.

In other news, Ontario still is going ahead with banning conventional light bulbs for the more efficient brain-rotting mercury filled bulbs:

Duncan downplayed earlier reports that compact fluorescent bulbs were a fire hazard, and said the bulbs, which contain small amounts of mercury, don't pose an environmental threat if disposed properly at toxic waste depots.

"There's less mercury in a CFL bulb than the battery in your wristwatch," said Duncan.

Wow, who to believe, the socialists of Europe or the socialists of Ontario?

A small battery filled with mercury doesn't seem like a big deal, but multiply that by the 30 bulbs that will be in your house and maybe that is a big deal. What if a tree falls on your roof and smashes 7 or 8 bulbs, you may as well drink toxic waste right now and get the inevitable over with. Do we have a mercury hotline set up in Ontario yet? We're going to need that!

All these questions, yet no answers.