Knesset to explore whether fluorescent lights carcinogenic

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
The Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee delayed approving for a first reading on Tuesday a bill which would mandate fluorescent or energy saving light bulbs in all public institutions.  The bill was delayed because University of Haifa Professor Avraham Haim sent a letter to committee chair Ophir Paz Pines (Labor) saying he was still researching the connection between breast and prostate cancer and fluorescent light bulbs. Paz-Pines decided to postpone the vote because "our goal is to improve the environment's health but we don't want to do that at the expense of the public's health." The Environmental Protection Ministry said switching the light bulbs would save NIS 55 a year per light fixture, according to their estimates.