03.08.08
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
A few weeks ago I wrote about my dissatisfaction with compact fluorescent light bulbs. This posting is about the good, the bad and the ugly of these energy efficient lights.
The Good:
The fluorescent compact bulbs are more energy efficient than the incandescent variety. They also tend to last ten times longer. More than 290 million of the bulbs were sold last year. According to the federal government, if we all used them, the United States would save $600 million in energy costs every year and prevent greenhouse gas equal to 800,000 cars.
The Bad:
Unfortunately, the news isn’t all good. According to one study, the bulbs are actually bad for the environment if they break because they contain mercury. Mercury poses a risk to infants, young children and pregnant women. If one does break, it is recommended that children and pets get out of the room immediately. Do not use a vacuum cleaner but rather use cardboard to pick up the pieces then wipe the area clean with a damp cloth. Use even more precaution if there are pregnant women in the house. The study recommends you consider removing the piece of carpet where the glass broke.
The Ugly:
Using fluorescent bulbs may be more energy efficient, but the light they emit is not pleasant. Many people resist using these bulbs because the light is not soft and warm. Some compare the light to hospital lighting, others compare it to industrial lighting. In my opinion the glow is harsh, too bluish and reminds me of institutional lighting.
Even though they are not perfect, I am using the compact fluorescent bulbs until something better comes along. I have begun to research the new LED technology which is said to be even more efficient than the fluorescent. However, that technology is typically only used in flat surfaces such as walls and light panels.
Mike said,
March 9, 2008 at 4:56 am
“The Bad:
Unfortunately, the news isn’t all good. According to one study, the bulbs are actually bad for the environment if they break because they contain mercury. Mercury poses a risk to infants, young children and pregnant women. If one does break, it is recommended that children and pets get out of the room immediately. Do not use a vacuum cleaner but rather use cardboard to pick up the pieces then wipe the area clean with a damp cloth. Use even more precaution if there are pregnant women in the house. The study recommends you consider removing the piece of carpet where the glass broke.”
“According to ONE study”! Just one! Your basing your opinion on 1 stinking study? Dude, fluorescent lamps have been around for over 50 years and they ALL contain mercury not just the recent compact fluorescents that you are familiar with. Do you see people with mercury sickness all around you like zombies? No. That’s because each lamp has a single drop of mercury that is the size of the ball in a ball point pin. Not very much. What about those millions of mercury switches used in home thermostats? What about the millions of mercury-vapor outdoor lights (the yellow ones) that you see in millions of parking lots around the world? Don’t hang a “mercury scare’ on CFLs as their impact is minimal compared to the millions of other mercury sources that are out there – did I mention thermometers?
Do your research!
Kristina said,
March 10, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Everyone is worried about the Mercury in CFLs but CFLs are Responsible for Less Mercury than Incandescent Light Bulbs. The highest source of mercury in our air comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal, the most common fuel used in the U.S. to produce electricity. A CFL uses 75% less energy than an incandescent light bulb and lasts at least 6 times longer. A power plant will emit 10mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4mg of mercury to run a CFL for the same time. To find out more information about mercury in CFLs you can visit http://www.tcpi.com/FileUploads/RichTextboxImages/file/PDF/1364_epafactsheet-cfl.pdf or http://www.springlightcfl.com/consumer/mercury_in_cfls.aspx
Jeanette said,
March 17, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Holy cow–talk about hitting a hot button! As a pregnant woman myself, whether it was one study or 100, I’m going to use caution about those bulbs myself. We don’t have any in our apartment right now, but this isn’t the first time I’ve heard of these bulbs being trouble when disposed of. Granted, they do last a lot longer than the older kind, but you are supposed to dispose of them in a special place like a florescent tube light, aren’t you? How many people are going to do that?
I was visiting my parents a few weeks back and staying in my old room. Late at night I needed to get up to find something, but didn’t want to turn on the overhead light. I went to the closet and pulled the cord and WHAMO–it had one of those light bulbs. I agree with you–the light is not pleasant. (That’s why my mom had put it in the closet-LOL.) I’m guessing you could put it in lights that have frosted glass or something like that to soften the blow, but I’m with you–I don’t think I want my apartment to shine like a research laboratory.
twhelan said,
March 18, 2008 at 11:59 am
Thank you Jeanette, my first response was to defend myself by stating that I had read several articles concerning the mercury in these bulbs but I cooled down. I think it is very important for people to know the good and the bad about all products they use. That way they can make informed decisions about the products and decide for themselves whether it is worth the risk.
macoffeegrounds said,
March 27, 2008 at 12:31 pm
IKEA takes these bulbs. Too bad we don’t have a close one. Though I did ask my brother at Lowe’s, and he’s asking around.
As for the comment from Mike above: Dude, mercury is a growing problem; have you eaten any fish lately? Could the fish problem be from the run-off problem? Could that lead to a people problem?
Disposing of CFL’s « Twhelan’s Weblog said,
March 29, 2008 at 5:25 pm
[...] of CFL’s 18Mar08 Last week I wrote about the mercury contained in Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL’s) and received a surprisingly heated [...]