The AFCI issue aside...IMHO, the "if it saves one life" arguement is usually a dead giveaway that what follows is either a bad idea or not supported by fact.
Isn't it worth spending 50 million dollars if it can save one life?
NO, it isn't! By spending 50 mil to TRY to save one life you are killing hundreds or thousands of people who could have been saved if the money had been better spent, perhaps on heart disease tests, or mamograms, or colon cancer screenings, or food and shelter, or free electricity in the hot months, or hiring more cops or 911 dispatchers.
Shouldn't we put 16 inches of rubber and foam around every telephone pole? If it would save just one life... Wouldn't YOU feel bad if your sister died because she slammed into an unsafe pole?
Shouldn't we eliminate gun ownership...
Lets raise the driving age to 18 or 21 or 30. If it would save only one life it would be worth it.
Shouldn't every electrical panel have a child-proof anti-tampering mechanism on it? Shouldn't you be required to install one? (shoot me now!)
Shouldn't our common household plugs be scrapped for one that is inherently shock-proof? If it would save just one life...
Who here has a defibulator on their work trucks? Why not? Too cheap to save a life?
In the AFCI case; wouldn't an older house be safer if instead of installing AFCIs you spent an equal amount of billable time inspecting each existing splice box for poor connections, checking old outlets, plugs, wiring and sockets for damaged insulation or improper use?
Shouldn't CPR training be mandatory for people in the elctrical trades?
'still not arguing against ACFIs, just tossing more fuel on this fire! (er, I mean, food for thought...yeah, that's the ticket)
