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14 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 21, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Help environment safely: turn off the lights By Nadia Nassar GRADE 12, IROQUOIS RIDGE H.S. F or the past few years it has been impossible to avoid the growing concern over our planet's well being. As new scientific discoveries are made public, campaigns, films, journals and a host of other related media has set out to stop us and our polluting ways dead in our tracks. But as well as all the warnings they send us that our planet is destined for another ice age, among other theories, there are several new products that have been introduced to help ordinary citizens like you and me use less energy. Perhaps the most popular are the compact fluorescent light bulbs, said to use 75 per cent less energy than typical incandescent bulbs require. With such a drastic reduction in energy bills it's no wonder that in 2007, six in 10 households were reported as using the efficient bulbs, according to Statistics Canada. Local homeowners don't seem to mind forking out a few more dollars to purchase the bulbs so that they save money in bills by using less electricity, if the stats are anything to go by. But what the companies hesi- Christmas is Coming! g So are your guests! A new shower enclosure is sure to impress. tate to mention in the TV ads and packaging that promotes the light bulbs is that the reason these new light sources are oh so efficient is that they contain between four to five milligrams of mercury, a neurotoxin and hazardous material. And another thing you might not realize until you buy the bulbs is that, when they do finally stop working, you can't just chuck them out like regular old bulbs, you have to arrange to have them properly disposed of as hazardous waste. That's not all, if one of your old bulbs broke, a careful clean up and a new bulb would have been sufficient, but not with the compact fluorescents. When these light sources break you have the dangerous task of removing newly spilled mercury on your hands. 20% off until the 28th Have your's installed before it's too late! We cannot guarantee pre-Christmas installation for orders placed after November 28. Discount applies to materials only. r 28 materia 550 Bronte Rd., Oakville 905.827.2951 the number of them in your house as well as the number of homes in your neighbourhood and you're talking about much more than just 5mg of mercury, and that's just on your block. So what do we do? Well, until we find a new and safe way of using less energy to produce light, I'll be sticking to the old bulbs, they may wear out faster, but I feel a lot safer having them It seems that even around the house. though we are saving energy, as well as money, we are, in the long run, putting the environment and ourselves at risk of exposure to toxic materiSally Armstrong, author, al. journalist and Oakville resiYou may argue that the bulbs don't contain dent will speak about her that much mercury, it's new book -- in a fundraistrue, there's only around ing bid to build a school in 5mg in each bulb as I stat- Afghanistan. Armstrong, who has ed earlier. worked for Homemakers, But multiply that by Chatelaine, Macleans and Canadian Living, as well as made a CBC documentary, has spent 11 years following the women in Afghanistan. What began as an assignment to see how women were coping with the Taliban rule, which effectively placed women European Engineering Combined under house arrest With Traditional Workmanship overnight, saw her resulting article Veiled Threat grow from a piece in Homemakers to a book and a grassroots movement. Now, Armstrong has "Building on the released what she admits is a sequel to Veiled Threat. It Brightest Ideas Around Glass" is titled Bitter Roots: Tender Shoots: The Uncertain Fate of Afghanistan's Women. It tracks the women and the women's movement in Afghanistan in the face of brutal tribal law and terrorism. But don't worry; there are many other ways that we can help the environment safely. Recycling, composting and using less paper are just some of the ways. The latest trend of stainless steel water bottles are also a great idea, I just got one myself. And if you don't feel like buying some new product, just stick to the old fashioned way of using less energy: turn off the lights. Armstrong's update on women in Afghanistan Armstrong will speak about her new book Sunday, Nov. 23 at St. John's United Church. Proceeds will go toward the effort of Canadians in Support of Afghan Women (CSAW) to raise $30,000 toward replacing a tent school in Sheik Mistry (30 km from Jalalabad) where children have been attending -- through desert dust storms and biting wind -- with a school building. Armstrong will speak about her new book this Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at St. John's United Church, 262 Randall St. Tickets cost $25. The event is sponsored by CSAW and St. John's Power of One Ministry. For tickets call Daniela at 289-242-4135. To donate to CSAW's school-building project, send cheques made payable to Rights and Democracy, noting on the memo line CSAW/Building, Canadians in Support of Afghan Women, Hopedale Mall, 1515 Rebecca St., Suite 227, Oakville, ON L6L 5G8. 905.849.0266 Create Something New with Old World Charm CHRISTMAS DECORATING CLASS Christmas is just around the corner, and now is the time to get some fresh new ideas for decorating your home for the Holiday season! We will explore decorating schemes for entranceways, trees, mantles, staircases, and tabletops. Add that extra flair to make your home look its best this special time of year. Class will be led by a professional designer with a university degree in Interior Design and twenty years of experience. The cost is $100 for the class, which will be held on Saturday November 29 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm A light lunch will be provided. Call Julie Eldridge at (905) 827-5889 "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" w w w. c o b b l e s t o n e m b e r s . c a or e-mail jeldridgeinteriors@cogeco.ca for more information and to sign up!!! 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905-337-2066 Design services also available.