When we were all told that we needed to replace our Edisoneque incandescent light bulbs with the newer -- and arguably cuter -- compact fluorescent ones, we dutifully ran off to the Depot to load up. Ouch, pricey. But we told ourselves they'll last longer and use less energy. A size 12 carbon footprint drops by maybe a half size, so better for the world. It's the cnchnz way right?
Not so fast. Sure they last longer and use less energy which is good, but I just found out that they also contain enough mercury vapor that, if broken, you can exceed the government's guidelines for chronic exposure. And, if you just toss that puppy in the trash it spells potential trouble for landfills and water tables.
But here's the bottom line from what I can tell, these bulbs are better for us all and the environment. While you should try really hard not to break them and never just pitch them in the garbage, there are safe ways to dispose of them. Just check for your local CFL recycling options on sites like earth911.org.
And never fear, smart people in white lab coats are working to create better options that don't use mercury. Until then, try not to break a CFL while eating a tuna salad sandwich. Oh yeah, and hope someone doesn't discover that polonium 210 makes a great reading lamp.
Just thought it was worth knowing.
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