ira - you got to change lightbulbs! And get in step with the new energy saving lightbulbs now out. Incandescents are out! Literally out.

Hi PQ,

>..does emitting such at high altitudes make it much worse than on the ground?<

Maybe. Since CO2 is about 1.5 the density of air, it will sink to ground level anyway.

>ira - you got to change lightbulbs!

How much UV does a CFL emit?

Not to mention that there are 4 mg Hg in a CFL.

100,000 broken CFLs release 1 lb of Hg. That's not trivial.

Ira - i speak English!

(And I always imagined that he was something like a literature professor instead of a rocket scientist!)

For all that I LOVE France and the French people, I don't understand why more people do not make more of a ruckus when US airlines buy the Airbus over Boeing. I am in buysiness, and understand economics and pricing, but you have to draw a line in the sand at some point, and show that you are willing to help US based companies stay in business, if not, it wont be long before we all are flying in Chineese manufactured planes. Again nothing wrong with the Chinese, but someone has to stop the manufacturing drain here!

>I don't understand why more people do not make more of a ruckus when US airlines buy the Airbus over Boeing.

Probably because making a sufficient ruckus might lead foreign airlines to buy Airbus instead of Boeing? Thus losing more of the business than is gained by closing the US aircraft market from the competition.
Plus (it is valid for both Boeing and Airbus) a nice competition is a good thing - either of the two companies will be bailed out with respective tax money anyway if they lose too much.

Intex, what can you possibly mean? What are these "Chineese manufactured planes" you're so afraid of? Large parts of Boeing jets are made in China, and Airbus jets as well, but China does not and probably could not compete in the large jetliner business. And, just as there are American customers of Airbus, there are European customers of Boeing.

You appear to be afraid of a chimera; Boeing is as strong as they have ever been. They've been crushing Airbus in orders for over a year -- which has started to turn over again, and will continue to do so. It's cyclical. And there is no threat from China.

The best way to guarantee a strong aerospace industry for all is to buy the best possible airplanes you can, whoever makes them. A strong Airbus drives Boeing to innovate, and vice versa. You appear to be advocating for the old anti-competitive Soviet model, which would leave us with no 787s or A380s, but only smoky old Tupolevs. No thanks.

Airlines are business. Their responsibility is to make the most profits for their shareholders. It's not to be patriotic or whatever.

The passenger, on the other hand, is free to choose whatever airline he/she likes to fly. If they don't like to give business to an airline that purchases French product, then they can fly another one that doesn't.