EU to ban traditional barometers (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Euro MPs have signalled the end of traditional barometers, in a move to ban the sale of products containing mercury across the EU.

The parliament's environment committee rejected a bid to exclude barometers from the ban, which will also affect thermometers and blood pressure gauges.

The draft law is designed to phase out the use of a substance harmful to health and the environment.

It still has to be approved by the full parliament, and by EU ministers.

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.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6725161.stm

[kestrel91316]

1. They can switch to using these:

http://www.fi.edu/weather/todo/barometer.html

Though I think these are a little more aesthetically appealing:
http://www.theweatherworkshop.com/barometers.html

[hunter]

2. Wow that's even more twisted than Bush's campaign against science!

If we ban all meteorological instruments, nobody will be able to document climate change!

Those clever Europeans may be way ahead of us... we better build some missile bases in Poland.

[Nihil]

3. Hardly ...

They aren't banning "all meteorological instruments", just a
common source of mercury in a household environment.

There is absolutely no problem with aneroid barometers (the most common
sort), just those with a quantity of mercury in a brittle glass tube.

Hope this helps! :hi: