Doing away with crazies

I suspect most of the crazy people in this world may be crazy because of heavy metals. Like lead, mercury, etc.. For those of you who don't know the phrase "Mad as a hatter" describes people who used mercury to shape the leather used in hats. Mercury was apparently taken as a "picker upper" in our past too. Read the excerpts from many of the early explorers of our country. They'd "clean their body out" by taking massive doses of mercury. And in today's world we still get mercury from coal plants. All lakes in the world near coal burning power plants have been polluted with mercury. You can't eat the fish because of it. And heavy metals once absorbed stay absorbed for life. Finally though Europe is starting to do something about it:

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL0988544920070710?feedType=RSS

EU bans mercury in barometers, thermometers
Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:38AM EDT
By Huw Jones

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Tapping a barometer to check the weather may become a thing of the past after the European Parliament on Tuesday adopted new rules to scrap the use of mercury and protect the environment.

The EU assembly agreed to ban the sale of non-electrical instruments containing the toxic heavy metal, such as thermometers for taking people's temperatures at home.

The ban, already endorsed by EU states, will apply to new devices only. Existing instruments or antiques can still be repaired or bought and sold second-hand.

Measuring devices containing mercury may be imported if they are more than 50 years old and therefore classified as antiques.

There are exemptions for the healthcare sector.

An earlier attempt to exempt barometer makers was dropped after opposition in some EU states. Manufacturers will be given a two-year grace period.

The measure is part of a wider EU strategy to crack down on the use of mercury. Around 80 to 90 percent of all mercury is used in medical and other thermometers for household use.

Philip Collins of Barometer World in Devon, England, said the measure would harm the environment.

"It's chiefly barometer makers who are in a position to advise customers about handling mercury. In the short and medium term it will produce more indiscriminate dumping of mercury barometers," said Collins, who is also secretary general of the British Barometer Makers Association. Continued...