CFLs Good For The Environment?

[Danoff]

CFLs - Compact fluorescent Lights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp) have been touted by environmentalists as fantastic for the environment because they use less energy than regular light bulbs (which means money savings) for the same amount of light.

I have a few of these in my place, but after reading this article:
http://www.junkscience.com/ByTheJunkman/20070426.html
...I'm wondering if that's a good idea.

Now, I'm not one to be concerned about mercury in general. But if these things are going to cause major problems for landfills, maybe I shouldn't be so happy about saving the cash.

Thoughts?

 

[Swift]

Interesting turn of events. A poison that saves money and the "environment" but hurts the people. I'd be very interested to hear what the "green" lobby has to say about these.

 

[Omnis]

+1 for LEDs.

 

[opendriver]

+1 for LEDs.

I dont know why im not using them in my home...

OT:
My house is currently under remodel and all of the lights that are being put in are CFL's. None of the guys that put them in had any trouble, or didnt break any of them.

So yeah,I think CFL's are good for the 'ol rock

 

[Danoff]

So yeah,I think CFL's are good for the 'ol rock

Until you have to dispose of them apparently.

 

[opendriver]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/cree_led.php

Wow.

 

[Philly]

We have been using fluorescent tubes for quite a long time. Have they ever been a problem? I'm sure they could make lights that are less liable to break, or make procedures to install them safely with something to prevent mistakes. But you still have to assume intelligence from the average American, which you can't do. We broke one of those things in our house and just threw it away...

 

[Pupik]

CFLs are curled, which makes them less "breakable" than standard tube-style fluorescents and round bulbs. I know, I dropped one by accident and it didn't break on my tile floor. The drop height wasn't that high; about three feet.

Still, I'm a bit concerned.

 

[FoolKiller]

So yeah,I think CFL's are good for the 'ol rock

Until you get cancer or some child is born autistic because the mercury seeped into the groundwater, fish, food supply, etc.

We have been using fluorescent tubes for quite a long time. Have they ever been a problem? I'm sure they could make lights that are less liable to break, or make procedures to install them safely with something to prevent mistakes. But you still have to assume intelligence from the average American, which you can't do. We broke one of those things in our house and just threw it away...

As noted CFLs are less likely to break. The coil design helps and then they are actually thicker glass than the tubes. But yes, ever since I was a kid I was told not to break fluorescent bulbs, or handle any pieces of a broken one because they contain chemicals that can cause cancer.

Since most people don't put tube fluorescents in their homes disposal has been relatively responsible as it was done by facilities management in offices and industrial buildings. But CFLs are common in households and there actually are proper disposal/recycling places in some cities (one that I know of in all of Kentucky), but most people know nothing about them or think anything of it when they throw away a CFL.

And yes, they don't break as easily as the tubes, but have you ever seen the compactor in a garbage truck? If I had to guess, I would say that most of them don't make it to the landfill in one piece.


I swore off CFLs pretty quickly. They didn't work well in ceiling fans until they designed them specifically for them, then they would occasionally have to warm up, growing from dim to bright, and then they fixed that issue and they still didn't seem as bright to me compared to Reveal bulbs. I am looking at testing an LCD bulb to see how well they work and if I like them. Does anyone know a good place to pick them up or are they only available online?