The Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb is more dangerous than originally thought

fossten

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From HotAir.com:

The compact fluorescent lightbulb has plenty of supporters in the environmental movement, even while concerns have grown about their disposal. CFLs contain mercury, and when the glass breaks, it spreads the toxic dust in the area. Boosters had previously dismissed concerns over the issue, but now researches worry about the collective effect their massive disposal will have on landfills once they start failing in large numbers:

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, long touted by environmentalists as a more efficient and longer-lasting alternative to the incandescent bulbs that have lighted homes for more than a century, are running into resistance from waste industry officials and some environmental scientists, who warn that the bulbs’ poisonous innards pose a bigger threat to health and the environment than previously thought. …

As long as the mercury is contained in the bulb, CFLs are perfectly safe. But eventually, any bulbs — even CFLs — break or burn out, and most consumers simply throw them out in the trash, said Ellen Silbergeld, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins University and editor of the journal Environmental Research.

“This is an enormous amount of mercury that’s going to enter the waste stream at present with no preparation for it,” she said.

Even a single CFL could provide toxic levels of exposure for mercury. One contains five milligrams of mercury, which would be enough to contaminate 6,000 gallons of drinking water. Low-mercury models have about one-sixth of the amount, but that’s still enough to contaminate 1,000 gallons. It makes the CFL one of the most toxic components of a household, one that causes kidney and brain damage when people get exposed to enough of it.

What happens when an incandescent bulb hits the floor? Simple: sweep it up, and try not to step on a shard of glass with bare feet. Here’s how people need to handle a broken CFL:

1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
Er, that’s quite a commitment for a lightbulb. I have several of these around the house, and I had no idea that a break could require such an intense cleanup. Like others who bought these products, I hoped to save a little energy and drive down replacement costs.

And guess what — I can’t even throw these in the garbage, broken or unbroken. As MS-NBC reports, Minnesota requires that I take any CFLs to a disposal center certified to handle them. I didn’t know that until tonight, and I have no idea where such a center might be. It does make sense, though, considering the disposal issues involving mercury.

In other words, we have opted for a product that has much more impact on our environment and could turn households into toxic-waste sites to replace a product that uses a little more energy, a change driven ironically by environmentalists. What’s next — lead containers to replace Tupperware?
 
One of those were broke in our basement. I am thinking of suing the manufacturers and the government. Looking at getting class action status right now.
 
Just think, if we'd had those bulbs mandated back in the 90's, the ATF wouldn't have had to use cyanide gas to kill the women and children in Waco. They could have just overloaded the electricity to the "compound" and popped all the bulbs and poisoned everybody that way.

Oh well, at least we know that they'll get it right next time. Pay your taxes folks. One hundred million homes with CFLs in them equals vulnerability.
 
Oh well, at least we know that they'll get it right next time. Pay your taxes folks. One hundred million homes with CFLs in them equals vulnerability.

So you don't think it's just stupid, short sighted "green policy" but a clever, evil, back door way for law enforcement to kill citizens?
 
I believe he was being facetious for starters.

I also believe he is saying... Not only is the light bulb mandate under the auspices of "global warming" foolish and toxic, it can also open us up to terrorist acts.

Go to a government building and run down the hall and break all the lights. You have just shut down that building for days/weeks.

More short-sided ignorance from the tree huggers. Government tells us what kind of light bulbs we can use. Good grief.
 
Actually, although Bryan makes a good point, what I'm saying is that once we have such a vulnerability literally built into our homes, it can and will be used against us should we somehow stumble afoul of the "law."

Once laws get so oppressive and wide-reaching that everyone is a criminal, it will be easy to pick on anyone - just declare the target's house a toxic disaster area and secure it, disowning the residents but giving them a "safe house" (read: protective custody) to stay in while an interminable "investigation" ensues.

You want your house back? Oh, well sir, that could take months due to the contamination. What? You can't wait that long? Well, we'll see you in court then...Oh, you're broke? Don't have a hundred grand for legal fees? Well, maybe something can be done, I don't know, these things take time, but if you cooperate with us in our investigation, maybe something can be worked out to expedite the return of your beloved residence...oh, you want to cooperate? Well, maybe we can make a deal; I'm sure that if you plead to a lesser charge we can just make all this go away just like they did for Senator Larry Craig...Score another one boys! Cha-ching!

And for those of you who like to scoff that the government is all-benevolent and would NEVER EVER abuse its authority or power, I would remind you of this story, recently seen on CNN:

http://www.jpfo.org/media-vid/dobbs-olofson-01.wmv

http://www.jpfo.org/media-vid/dobbs-olofson-02.wmv

http://www.jpfo.org/media-vid/dobbs-olofson-01.mov

http://www.jpfo.org/media-vid/dobbs-olofson-02.mov
 
I have to say, for the longest time I thought these were bullchit. Then I decided to try them. I replaced about 90% (all that I could) with these bulbs. First off, the estimates on the boxes are bullchit. They estimate savings based on electricity costs of 12.5 cents per kilowatt. Well, even the most expensive service in GA (which I am forced to use) charge like 7.5 cents per kilowatt. Thats almost 50% less than their estimated cost. So the savings aren't near what they claim. That being said, the estimated 7 year life of the bulb is a load of chit too. In less than one week, I had 3 burn out. 2 were bad in the packages (two seperate packages) They don't work on dimmer switches unless they are on full power. They are slow to get to full light (they kinda warm up and get brighter over the course of 2 minutes or so) and they hum. I'm gonna give them a chance though, only been in for like 2 weeks, but I saved all the old bulbs in case. Its also hard for me to judge cause I'm on budget billing but I can still see my monthly useage. I'll report back on their true efficiancy after a couple months:cool:
 

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