Today the European Union decides whether to lift the ban of light-bulbs - and maybe even band enery-saving lamps due to the quicksilver inside of energy-saving lamps.

What do you think?

Here's the (existing website!) take on why we should have the energy-saving one!
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/lumen/editorial/index_en.htm

You wonder, sometimes, how these things come about.
Was it people within the bulb-making companies saying, 'Hey, why don't we come up with an energy-saving lamp! Everyone will get rid of the existing bulbs and we'll make a killing!'
"OK, they might cost a bit more, but you'll save over the life of the lamp!"
"These last longer!"
Or environmentalists saying to the lamp manufacturers, 'Why don't you make an energy-saving lamp? And you'll make a killing!'
"Save money and help the planet, at the same time, by saving energy!"
"You're one of the good people, right? You want to save the planet!"

Now it's a balance of the long-term killing and the long-term energy-saving good.

Is it better to lose millions people to mercury-related illnesses or to extend the life of our fossil fuels?
I'm assuming that someone has decided we won't be able to ship all the deadly stuff to China, or India, of Africa in the future - as we're doing now and have done in the past.
We won't be able to put 1000s of miles between it and us; and have someone else 'mind' it or try to recycle it; and leave other people and their children (and their children's children) to die from the toxic effects.
Damn! We're going to have it right here!
On our doorstep!

Mercury is a dangerous substance, but it's been around a long while: used in a variety of things, before it was realised how toxic it is.
I remember handling it, as a kid. We broke something that had it in and rolled it around our palms, marvelling at the strange silveriness and how heavy it was, how cold, and how it flowed.

But then I also remember trying to open railway-type detonators with a hammer!
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Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air.
(Jack Benny)