Once considered to be a harmless, and rather quaint, object in people's homes; the barometer is now deemed by Nanny, and her acolytes, to be a major threat to mankind.
This time Nanny is being helped in her evil work by the "mother of all Nanny's"; the interfering, overpaid, unwanted, ineffective, bureaucratic and totally useless members of the European parliament.
(Editor's note: please feel free to add to the list of adjectives to describe the European parliament, and it's members).
Euro MPs (God bless their little cotton socks!) have decided to ban traditional barometers.
For why? I hear you ejaculate over your
banned eggs (can I use the word ejaculate at this time of the morning?).
I shall tell you.
Barometers contain mercury, mercury is evil; therefore barometers must be banned.
The EU, dear readers, is working on banning all products containing mercury in the EU.
Personally I don't know what the fuss is about, I well remember playing with mercury in the school labs (rolling little globules of the stuff around the lab work surfaces etc); as you can see, it never did me any harm!
Anyhoo,
Nanny Knows Best!The EU's environment committee has rejected a bid to exclude barometers from the ban, needless to say the ban will also affect thermometers (what are you mean to insert into your orifices now, to check your temperature with?) and blood pressure gauges.
An amendment to the law supporting the continued manufacture of mercury barometers was passed in the European Parliament last November, but not supported by the member states.
Kudos to one member of the EU parliament who shows some vague signs of intelligence, British Conservative MEP Martin Callanan, he said:
"
So the many thousands of people
up and down the country that have
an existing barometer cannot get it
repaired and will therefore throw it
away which will result in more
mercury entering the environment."
Quite!
Where exactly is one meant to dispose of one's stock of mercury then?
Should I pour mine down the toilet then?
Should I sell it to a third world country?
The people need answers!
British Labour MEP, Linda McAvan, true to form as an acolyte of Nanny welcomed the ban:
"
Research has shown that even at low doses
mercury is extremely harmful to human health."
Madam, I refer you to my comment earlier about playing with mercury in the school labs.
On the subject of harmful substances, that I don't notice Nanny rushing to ban, what about the emissions from car engines?
That, I guarantee you, does more harm to our health and the health of the young than any number of mercury barometers.
Will Nanny be banning cars, car fumes and emissions?
Will she fark!Once the legislation is adopted, manufacturers will have two years to switch to alternative ways of making thermometers, barometers, blood pressure gauges, marine instruments, and devices such as hygrometers for measuring humidity.
Some wall clocks have also traditionally been made with mercury.
The EU claim that it will not be illegal to own an old mercury barometer.
Pah!
I spit upon their promises!How long will they keep their word on that then?
Nanny loves to spend our money on her "pet projects", it's so easy when it's not your own money to indulge yourself isn't it?
