Just how can a florescent light bulb be consdered eco friendly when it contains toxic mercury?
Answer:
Toxic mercury may not be great, but you have to consider which environmental hazard is going to kill us first. In this case, I would say carbon emissions from coal-fueled power plants are much higher on the list than mercury.
good one
You have made an excellent point. I know that flourescent bulbs are supposed to be more energy-efficent, but I guess that is not the whole picture if they end up in a land fill or polluting the land when disposed of improperly. I think that flourescent bulbs are a very poor choice for this reason, and because they light they give is so terrible! They fade over time, so I don't know whether their efficiency measure takes this into account. Light is really important in any space, especially if you are trying to read something or get work done, so I do not purchase flourescent. I prefer those GE Reveal lightbulbs.
First of all, we need to remember that mercury is a natural occuring element. And that the energy saved by using a CFL translates into CO2 emmisions reduced the difference is easy to see. Yes mercury is toxic (more so to humans then to the earth itself) but green living is a total practice of what is good for all parties not just humans.
It also occurs in trace amounts and they are supposed to be disposed of properly
with a quick google of this i found these 2 sites which shed some light (haha) on the subject.
http://www.nema.org/lamprecycle/epafacts...
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/...
seems to me less coal burning equals less emissions and ultimately less mining and environmental damage that mining would bring. (sorry miners)
Although the bulbs contain mercury, they use less volts. So in the long run, it helps save the environment from the source at the power plants. However, these bulbs can be dangerous. If a lamp gets knocked over, you have just exposed yourself to mercury. Also, some new research is showing that during the nighttime, the melatonin levels in your body is different from during the day. Aparently the light given off from these bulbs can react with this change in melatonin and increase your risk of cancer. Now don't start panicing, the main people at risk are people like nurses and so who are exposed EVERYNIGHt and ALLNIGHT to this light. You will be fine, that is unless you are exposed to a flourescent bulb all night. Now back to the original question, these bulbs are mainly eco friendly unless you through them away in the normal trash, which most people do. However, these bulbs are not really human friendly.
The bulbs are great unless you break one in your house. Some mercury levels would require a Hazmat team to clean according to some states. The cost of this cleanup will overcome any savings in money a household may see, so economically they do not save money. The savings is in the lower energy needed in total, but tell that to a parent with a baby crawling on the floor where the bulb broke.
It uses less power.
Also I just heard you can have them recycled, check your local Ikea for a CFL recycling program.
I think they're less dangerous than throwing out a computer for instance.
Electronics, batteries, and even now lightbulbs need to be correctly disposed of. It'd be nice if cities caught up with that.
You dispose of a lot less of them than incondesents
How many lightbulbs have you all broken in your lifetime? What goes on in this forum? So many people are complaining about Hazmat cleanup of the mercury in CFLs, but honestly, how many lightbulbs have you broken in your house? I am 33 and have yet to break a lightbulb. Yes, I've changed them. Yes, I've moved a bunch and still not broken them. Yes, I put them in their original packaging when I put them in the trash so that I don't break them.
I'm clutzy, but I've never broken a bulb. I even had three cats for years, who caused mischief, but no broken bulbs.
I have a friend who is an interior designer and retail merchandiser (hint: she's changed a whole ton of lightbulbs in her 30+ years on Earth), and she told me she's never broken a lightbulb, either.
So why is this Hazmat cleanup a big deal? Is this really a huge factor? Are people really suggesting we think twice about saving the Earth by reducing our energy consumption by using CFL bulbs... because some people are compulsive lightbulb breakers?
Very good point, but consider a few thoughts.
Have you ever, or do you smoke, drive a car, drink alcohol, done drugs, suntanned?
Answer yes to any of these and the validity of your question get very shakey. You purposely exposed yourself to some form of toxin or hazard. Are you planning on breaking flourescent bulbs for fun or a hobby?
Most forget that flourescent bulbs have been around for a long time now, and that this mercury issue isn't a new one, just a revived one.
Like another poster said, I am 37 years old. I may have broken about 3 three light bulbs in my life at home. At work as an auto mechanic I may have blown out about a dozen or so but may have only broken about 2 in my life, and that is an expected occurence when you are working on a car. Drop lights will get broken, hence the name "drop light". Still that's less than a half dozen, and most of that is because of the environment that I work in.
Would I use a CFL in a drop light? NO! I do own flourescent drop lights which are constructed to contain the vapors in case the bulb does break, but I have literally tossed mine around and it still hasn't broke. I wore out the power switch before the bulb expired!
Would I put a CFL in a place where there would be a risk of it accidentally be broken (ie. kids, pets) ? NO
I use them in the wall, ceiling, and bathroom fixtures of my house. Table lamps and such will still have incandescent bulbs in them. So don't use the kids being exposed as a lame excuse. If you are a responsible person/parent you will think about these things before just swapping stuff out and finding flaws with them.
Beside, how many childrens toys need batteries? Those annoying little toys you get at fast food restaurants that have lights or make noises, have batteries in them. I bet they have mercury in them as well. And we let our kids play with them!
Get some perspective. Own a watch? hearing aid? camera? Ipod? PDA? computer? a flatscreen TV or monitor? Thermostats in your house?
Mercury everywhere and you didn't even realize it.
Besides, like one of my college instructors said yesterday, you may damage the environment but it will eventually come back. It may kill you (us/humans) in the process, but the environment will come back, we just may not be around to see it... if you think about it he's right.
Mercury is toxic to humans, but it is a naturally occuring element in nature. So who or what are we really looking of for here?
"Environment" mean surroundings, not inhabitants.
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