Why CFL's are Bad for You and the Environment

[macinman]

I just thought I'd bring up a point, no one seems to have touched on, LCDs are often backlight by CCFLs, and we all sit in front of a computer, or TV hours a day. We're talking about lighting here, and it's risks, but I don't see anyone complaining about LCDs. True now LCDs are being made with LEDs, so are TVs, but scanners, and a majority of LCDs still are lit with CCFLs.

[PrimeTargetSecurity]

mercury vapor, mercury material hazards, dirty electrical fields, completely made in china, killing american jobs... want more reasons NOT to use these? its not fishy that we are in bed with china, helping their economy and killing ours while selling products that just plain kill us?? Ban these and boycott GE - they pay zero taxes and ship jobs to china...

[Unclesamslair]

burning coal to power incandescents releases more mercury than the total mercury released by powering a cfl and throwing it away instead of recycling it.

[hazza1o1]

cfl are better

[teddybruscie]

I want to buy LED but its not practical right now. Its too expensive for most people and they already have a hard time getting CFLs as it. New light fixture technology is great thing but the only thing holding it back is the prices. If it was the same amount as Incandescents it would be a no brainer.

[vahakna]

See that why they should ban to using cfl bulb

[thisisspartalazor]

And yes it's hard to spell your name :p

[thisisspartalazor]

@ kreutztraeger noreaga is right cfl is worse than any othe bulb not only because of it's appearance and lighting but it has a huge health hazard to anyone that can break it. Would you rather pay extra 20$ for a good safe light bulb or would you pay 100$ or even more for treatment of mercury poisoning? Remember humans are not perfect and can do mistakes

[47f0]

@thisisspartalazor - nuts. You know what's a huge health hazard? Putting gas in your car. Half the stuff under your kitchen sink, or in your garage. The VOCs emitted by your carpet and the paint in your house. How come everyone is wetting their panties over CFLs, when we've had the bog-standard 48" fluorescent tubes in our kitchens, our garages, our schools and our workplaces as long as I've been around - and they have ten times the mercury in them?

[noreaga12326]

@47f0 Looks to me like you're comparing CFLs to the old skool tubes we're used to seeing in stores and schools. In that case, why would anybody wana light their homes with ONLY flourecent lighting. Unless you wana make your house look like the inside of a super market or a shopping mall. How many ppl do u know, (EVEN B4 THE CFLs CAME OUT) lit their homes in only flourecent bulbs?? I dont care how "efficient" they are. Just because you have lousy taste in lights doesnt mean the rest of us do

[47f0]

@noreaga12326 - No, work on your reading comprehension. I'm not comparing them, because CFLs are vastly more versatile than, and superior to the 48" tubes. I AM wondering why CFLs, which contain an order of magnitude less mercury than the 48" tubes are singled out here as villains suddenly when we've been living with much more mercury for decades in 48" tubes. And yes, the 48" tubes have been a common lighting solution for residential kitchens, utility areas and garages, and still are.

[noreaga12326]

@47f0 It doesnt matter if cfls have a lot or a little mercury. Even a little mercury can be harmful to you. You're right about one thing. CFLs are versatile. Thats why it should be up to the consumer whether he or she want to purchase them or not. i dont think that should be up to government. Whats next? They're gona ban junk food because of the large amount of over weight ppl in the US? I happen to be fortunate enough not to be over weight but once in a while i like to eat junk food.

[47f0]

@noreaga12326 - apparently you're fine burying your head in the sand and pretending that all the environmental mercury spewed out by coal plants to power incandescent bulbs doesn't exist. But it does exist, and once it's in your soil, water and air, there's no avoiding it. Even if every single CFL was tossed into the street and run over at the end of their life, there would still be a net reduction in environmental mercury. But you're right - next the government will be banning tasty leaded gas.

[noreaga12326]

@47f0 just to be clear, i have nothing against flourecent lighting but the old skool versions. U know, the tubes and circular versions. u do know that there are incandecents that will still be available after 2014. the ones that will most likely be phased out are the 40 60 and 100 watts. Anything is not affected by the ban. Flood lights, appliance lights, specialty lights 3 way and colored bulbs are all exempt from the ban

[RagingBubuli]

Im getting a LED Bulb.

[Varyalover]

We should use these lights as poison grenades and throw them at Obama

[noreaga12326]

i cant help but laugh at the ppl who honestly believe that CFLs are good for the planet and who think that cfls will stop global warming. For those of u who think that, ur a bunch of eco friendly morons. I am amazed that the greenies are falling for the scams to pay more money on these shit bulbs AND to light their homes using harsh lighting. The only way i wont use incandescents is if i get arrested by the light bulb police. u eco friendly mental cases have lousy taste in lighting.

[stickedU]

Cfls are superior every type of color possible and last longer and are pretty cheap now to purchase!

[Nuclear793]

i have a broken CFL and i'm freaking out. i don't know what to do.

[kreuztraeger]

@Nuclear793 - Pick it up and take the pieces to your nearest hardware store. Chances are most of the mercury is still inside the bulb.

DO NOT CALL A HAZMAT TEAM.

[Nuclear793]

@kreuztraeger thanks. i was joking :)

[starseed1337]

ya TRUST GE weapons manufacturer 

[edaker66]

The real problem with these cfl's is not just the possible exposure to the mercury when broken, but more the fact that many people are pretty lazy and just don't care, and will just throw them in the trash instead of recycling them.

[dwburdette]

I just bought box of CFL's today and paid 8 dollars for three of them. One of them in the box was already broken for me. So I put on my hazmat suit called the "local disposal" company. HA HA just kidding I threw it in the trash like 95% of other people do.

[JISINSANE3]

CFL's Don't fucking last! They die within months! FUCK CFL's! CFL'S are only good in fixtures that operate for long peroids of time, Like outdoor dusk to dawn lights and nightlights, And fuck the mercury vapor light ban also As for regular household lights, Its a failure. Either incadescent or LED, Not only is more mercury and waste being made, But the cost to make the bulbs, The so called faggot ass carbon footprint is being further expanded in production of the shithole with anal warts bulbs.

[kreuztraeger]

@JISINSANE3 - I put CFLs in my parent's house and five years later all of them are still burning. You must be trying to use them as strobe lights, in motion detector circuits, in tight enclosed spaces or something else that the package warns you not to do IN ALL CAPS.

[bubbafication]

Linear fluoros have way more murcury in them. No one complains about them. HID metal hilides and high pressure sodiums have way more murcury...not a peep against them. Your mechanical thermostat for your heating a/c system has thousands times the mercury in them, the new green solution for these is to switch to a programable stat..where do ya think the old stats are going?!!

[stickedU]

She shouldnt have all those lights on at once, that is really wasting alot of energy common people think. Turn lights off!

[OldTimerGuy58]

My family has been using CFL bulbs all over the house for about 4 years now, and we have yet to have any of them fail. I do wonder, if these bulbs contain mercury, then how is it they are made in the US. I thought that OSHA banned the use of mercury in all manufacturing several years ago??

[cloudburstlenepmhq]

Free energy can change the world!But the Big corporations spend millions to ensure that information does not spread to the masses,Get a motor that works with the power of magnets only at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,take part in the revolution!

[azthundercloud]

i use the led bulbs. costco used ot stock them. the cfl's are all made in china. the tree huggers made sure that cfl's are not made in the USA because of the use of mercury.

[amusingisthedawn]

I love how "green" people never ever talk about the nasty deadly shit that the earth NATURALLY produces every day. All the acids and metals that they want to eliminate are more green than their ideas.

[partyongarth420]

@amusingisthedawn so true

[TheRealLife333]

CFLs also emit "dirty electricity" (google it). The governments are trying to depopulate the earth. This whole green push is leading to harmful products that the gov'ts are pushing onto its citizens. It's not a conspiracy; once the dots are connected, you can see the big picture.

[ASLforever100]

Please do not ban good incandescent light bulbs!

[ASLforever100]

I don't like CFL bulbs because it made me big headache.  I have to go back to old fashion Incandescent light for my heath reason.

[Azteka]

how can i know if i got mercury on my body? when i was in mexico i used to play with mercury, i used to put on my hand, in mexico they sell mercury in pendants,

[stonerj0e]

when it gets into the carpet, you will have to REPLACE that carpet ! and, by all means, NEVER vacuum it !

[partyongarth420]

@stonerj0e ur off ur rocker buddy haha.. that amount of mercury is so small.. i garantee u put more mercury than that in ur body the last time u ate tuna..

[dwburdette]

@partyongarth420 The amount mercury in CFL's is bad for you. Think about all the warnings and proper disposal procedures. I haven't read those kind of warnings on a can of tuna yet.

[1superskunk]

Omfg are u people serious what u should be worried about is not breaking the fucking bulb!!!!!!

[crazybeavers155]

fuck i have bin tricked shit im switching back fuck cfls my health is more then my bill

[MrGreenvision]

50 million of bulbs go in a landfill every year. That translates to 20,000 Lbs of waste. One twenty eight of a tea spoon can contaminate 25 acres of water. 1 CFL can contaminate 1,000 drinking glasses of water. This is the reason why many should think at a global scale.

[niccarstob]

"green" and EVERYONE who follows these lies can SMELL MY BALLS!!!!!

fuck green

[relyingonhim]

The main point here is that the goverment should not be regulating stuff like this. It's STUPID!! Will not save enough energy to make much of a difference & the US gov needs to stay out of stuff.

[MrGreenvision]

To a point i agree with you about the Government Making it illegal or regulating the old Incandescent light bulbs, but it needs to be done. You think is wont save money or would not make a difference, but if you really do the math it really does. Also, please take in consideration how much energy and pollution is created for making the old Incandescent bulb, compare to the CFL. If you look at it in a gloval scale, you will see why its needed.

[noreaga12326]

@MrGreenvision ohh please dude. do u really think that incandescent light bulbs are the only ones that waste energy?? how about all the other things we use in our homes. that also contributes to the use of electricity, EVEN IF U ONLY USE CFLs. I dont know about u but im proud of my home and i refuse to make my house to look like the inside of a hospital or an office cuz of a stupid MYTH that cfls are cleaner and will save the planet. ur another eco mental case who needs 2 seek some serious help.

[kreuztraeger]

@noreaga12326 - Enjoy paying $25 more than I do on your light bill every month? The new ones look pretty close to the old light bulbs ... or better. The problem you're talking about is color temp. Most hospitals and offices use bulbs with color temps between 5000-6500 Kelvin. Look for the CFLs with color temps under 3000K and you won't be able to tell the difference between them and regular light bulbs.

[noreaga12326]

@kreuztraeger No offence but anybody who cant tell the difference between the light quality of incandescents and CFLs need to get their eyes checked. to answer ur question, YES i would rather pay more money for good old incandescents cuz their light quality is nicer and pleasent than CFLs. CFL lighting is harsh and their swirly appearence is horrible. The main reason why alot of energy is wasted is cuz of other electric things we use in our house. U cant just blame it on the edison bulb.

[noreaga12326]

@kreuztraeger If CFLs were really that good, government would let ppl buy CFLs voulentarily instead of forcing them on ppl. Maybe u like cfls for whatever reason and ur entitled. they've been trying for years to improve quality on cfls and they still look like shit. no matter how hard they try, u will never get the nice warm light color that u get from edisons. plus, cfls dont last as long as they claim they do and u dont save much on ur electric bill. especially when the price of light goes up

[slack7639]

I was using CFL designated as task light. I read regular ones don't last as long if not used upright. So you'd think this bulb was definitely good for use in close proximity. I do like the light, but figured out this thing was off-gassing something that gave me a terrible headache. This is after 6 months of use. Maybe it's something in the plastic base, heat is releasing a cancer causing molecule. Only alternative is the expensive LEDs. This YT shows: Health Effects - Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

[TheGeek1028]

I think a better solution for now would be CCFL, using the same concept, but even more light and less wattage. And they are smalllllllllllllllllllllllllll­llll. Plus less than 1 mg of mercury.

[tx55drexray]

or LED's which are spensive, but have no mercury, no special disposal procedre, wont break easily, and last like 30 years... Also use even fewer ammounts of light... Also better production of hite light...

[relyingonhim]

Only problem is though, this would take away from China's production of these CFL bulbs. We have to exploit these low wage earners some how, you know.

[TheGeek1028]

So, CCFL's.

[moth82]

No mercury would be better. No mercury is possible.

[TheGeek1028]

I hate HPS. They give off a nasty orange (2000-3000 K) color. And metal halide litterally explode inside when they're done. Mercury vapor, while having mercury, are contained in an almost impossible to break quartz arc tube. Only problem is, when they start cycling, they still use as much energy as when they were new. Well, what about Xenon?

[moth82]

Those low quality chinese CFL break easily and do not last anywhere near the expected 7 year lifetime. Almost impossible to break is not impossible. Most of these CFL will go into landfill, unless a massive public education campaign is launched along with widespread and convenient recycling/disposable centers. A better technology can and should be developed. LED is better.

[TheGeek1028]

"Almost impossible..." do you know how hard it is to break quartz?

[moth82]

You're assuming they're using quartz. And almost impossible is still not impossible. The Titanic was "impossible" to sink, not even almost impossible, and it sank. You are also assuming that there is a perfect seal around the mercury that will and can never degrade over time preventing the mercury from leaking out. I don't know what these low quality CFL from China that you can buy for $1.20 each are made of, but I do know they're really badly made and have a really short lifespan (2-3 months)

[TheGeek1028]

I know they're not using quartz. They use regular glass, like regular incandescents do. As far as I know, only halogens use quartz.

[OceanportECP]

moth82 - You are 100% correct about the CFLs going to landfills. Talk to your mayor and ask what is being done to address this.Just like plastic and metal, CFLs MUST be recycled. Btw the mercury put into the environment each month by coal generated electricity for one average home is about the same amount that 8 CFL bulbs contain. We can contain the mercury in CFLs but not from burning coal. You would have to bust every CFL in the house every month to rival what coal is emitting right now.

[moth82]

Thx for the info on mercury emissions into the environment via coal. There needs to be much more info on the true environmental impact of society's actions. There seems to be too much propaganda, instead of just raw information. And there's too little vision. There's no reason, we can't have a 100% clean environment. Zero Impact Technology is possible. People have been conditioned to think that viable solution are either too costly or impossible. We must demand Zero Impact Technology. eg, LEDs

[moth82]

Eg, LEDs are not too "expensive". Massive consumer demand makes ALL products cheap! Computers used to be "expensive". A computer used to cost approx $4000. Now a computer that's 10x more powerful cost $400 - 800. Black and white laser printers used to cost about $2000. Now you can buy one for $60 -120. LEDs can be produced now for 1/10 their current price. They is a massive untapped demand for environmentally safe products. The argument that they are too expensive to produce is untrue.

[partyongarth420]

@OceanportECP hey good thinking i like ur ideas here.. i didnt know that coal put out mercury im gonna look that up right now

[miraclePaws]

nice video

[JustMakingComments]

Buy LED if you don't want to risk getting a fine when you throw the CF bulb in the trash.

[idontcare80]

@JustMakingComments Why don't you just NOT throw the CFL in the trash? That's fucking stupid. I've taken the 3 CFLs that have burned out (in the 4 years that I've used them) to where they can be disposed of properly, it's not that freaking hard.

[computeruser54321]

I want to buy LED light bulbs instead of CFL's in Vancouver, Canada, but only the party colour ones are widely available. I don't particularly like CFL's, but there is not much choice here.

[rulllar]

I did not know it had Mercury! hmm!