Invisible Wounds

Doctors are calling it the war's "signature" injury, and it's quickly becoming the most common trauma from the war in Iraq. More than 20 percent of local veterans returning from combat suffer from traumatic brain injury, or TBI. TBI is caused by repeated exposure to the kind of formerly deadly explosions that troops now regularly survive, thanks to advances in body armor technology--but they're not escaping unscathed. Many soldiers are suffering unusually high numbers of concussions and other brain injury due to the shock waves of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. The near-constant rattling of soldiers' brains causes irreversible damage, resulting in physical and emotional disorders including memory loss, extreme sensitivity to light, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), loss of balance, insomnia, nightmares, anger, depression and other mood disorders. Incredibly, many cases of TBI are going undiagnosed by military doctors, and frequently soldiers don't even realize they are hurt. In this episode of CNX, we'll share the stories of two local vets suffering from TBI and their struggles to return to civilian life handicapped by this cruel condition. And we'll take you inside the VA's Polytrauma Clinic in Seattle, a cutting-edge facility where local doctors are pioneering new treatments for the men and women suffering from Iraq's invisible wounds.

Green Watch:

The dirty lowdown on compact fluorescent light bulbs. Experts agree that they're good for the environment, but they can leave a toxic trail if not disposed of properly. King County EcoConsumer Tom Watson explains how and where to trash your used bulbs.

SEATTLE: Compact fluorescents use 75 percent less energy than regular light bulbs and last about ten times longer. Their initial price is higher but they quickly pay for themselves in lower energy bills. Since lighting a home is one-fifth of the average electric bill, changing out your light bulbs is one of the best ways to help the planet.

If every home in America replaced just one bulb with a compact fluorescent, it would save enough energy to power three million homes and prevent green house gas emissions equivalent to those produced by 800,000 cars. Compact fluorescents have dramatically gone down in price in the last year, and are now available at most supermarkets and drugstores.

The secret to the efficiency of compact fluorescent bulbs is mercury--five milligrams sealed in every bulb. Unfortunately, if that bulb breaks, exposure to even very low doses of mercury is toxic. Mercury has been linked to neurological problems, birth defects, blindness, cerebral palsy and seizures. Some scientists think it may even cause autism.

The mercury in compact fluorescents is not an immediate danger but it does mean they must be recycled. In fact, King County Solid Waste Division and other municipalities won't accept compact fluorescents anymore. You simply can't throw them in the trash. Instead you need to take burned-out fluorescent bulbs to an authorized household hazardous waste recycler. King County's Take it Back network publishes a list of local recyclers.

Campaign Data Mining

It's common knowledge that telemarketers and other companies compile profiles of you based on your spending and purchases. But did you know that political campaigns do it too? Collecting information such as what kind of car you drive, what grade of gasoline you use, what magazines you read, or even how many lattes you drink a day plays a key role in today's politics. In this episode of Connects, how the campaigns are gathering this information, and how they're using it to target you as a voter.