Compact Flourescent Lamps are bad news

Just an FYI, sorry about the background noise but Ive been remodeling my bathroom and I finally had to pay someone to help, it's been three weeks.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• lewismdmx
• cfl
• edison
• light
• bulbs
• mercury
• poison

[crypticalpha]

Mercury content in lamps is no new thing. CFL's are very similar in technology and mercury content to your standard linear (tube) fluorescent lamps which are in extremely popular use everywhere from office buildings, supermarkets and even hospitals.

I have not seen any huge media attention directed to the use of standard fluorescent lamps, and they are used everywhere! So if the problem is that serious? Why is it never brought up for standard fluorescent lamps which have been around for AGES?

[Lewismadmax]

crypyicalpha: I dunno, you tell me why a single mother would be charged alot of money by the EPA because she broke a CFL???

[drewkeener]

What happens in 5 to 7 years when millions of CF bulbs die and are dumped? It doesn't matter how little mercury is in each bulb, it matters that there will be millions leeching mercury into the ground water that eventually you will drink at some point. Florescent is not green!!!!

[Blaze1024]

@drewkeener Oh pulease The amount of mercury contained in a CFL is minuscule compared to other sources you are exposed to every day. 600 million metric tons of mercury is released into the atmosphere every year from coal burning power plants. That's the equivalent of breaking 6 billion CFL's each and every year. Worrying about CFl's while coal fired power plants are pumping mercury into the air we breath is like worrying about a hang nail after being shot in the gut by a shot gun.

[drewkeener]

@Blaze1024 Actually I have been concerned for a long time. I'm concerned with everyone getting cancer including myself. I'm concerned with the alarming increase of early dementia and Alzheimer's disease. All of these disorders can be linked to heavy metal poisoning. I don't buy CFLs and I'm not impressed with your vast knowledge of them. Get off your high horse and realize that you are an ignorant pawn like the rest of us.

[Blaze1024]

@drewkeener Your comment's and opinions on CFLS's are a perfect example of what happens when ignorant consumers become victims and pawns of corporate political manipulation.

Fact, Florescent tubes which contain over 120% MORE mercury then CFL's have been in wide spread use in the USA for over 70 years.! Since the 1930's billions of fluorescent tubes containing as much as 25+mgs of mercury each have been dumped into our landfills and all of a sudden now you're concerned puleasee.!

[Blaze1024]

@noreaga12326

The fact is GE invented the CFL but due to a lack of insight failed to patent the design. The Chinese took advantage of GE's failure to patent the bulb and began manufacturing them. This devastated the US lighting industry's profits. In response they manufactured the CFL Hysteria and teapublicans are buying it hook line and sinker. You can bet that if GE had patented the CFL and was selling them Tea baggers would be praising them as the next best thing to sliced bread

[Blaze1024]

@noreaga12326 "So that "little mercury" eventually will add up causing a huge mess in our landfills."

The average home has at least 8 "4 foot fluorescents" 4 in the kitchen + 4 in the garage. Each one of those tubes contain 120% more mercury then a CFL. There are also 100's of millions of additional 4 foot and 8 foot fluorescent in use in offices and stores. Billions of these Fluorescent tubes have been dumped into our landfills over the last 70 YEARS.! and now your concerned..!

[Blaze1024]

@noreaga12326 All this concern over the Mercury in CFL's is nothing more then manufactured TeaPublican hysteria. The standard 4 foot fluorescent tube that's installed in 100's of millions of home kitchens contains over 12mg of Mercury each which is over 120% more than a CFL. These 4 foot fluorescent have been in use since the 1930's and early models contained twice as much mercury as current tubes Yet there's never been any public hysteria over the mercury contained in those bulbs.

[noreaga12326]

@Blaze1024 CFLs dont have a lot of mercury in them but lets face it, most people are not going to recylce them properly when done with them. So that "little mercury" eventually will add up causing a huge mess in our landfills. Even these moron tree huggers warn people to properly dispose them when done. CFLs are expensive, they dont last any longer than an incandescent and their light quality looks like shit. You tree huggers are paranoid and wana control the lives of other ppl

[Blaze1024]

@drewkeener

What will happen is a substantial reduction in environmental mercury.

The amount of Mercury contained in a CFL is about 4mg

On the other hand The Mercury foot print of a 100 watt incandescent bulb is about 160mg

So as you can see compared to CFL's Incandescent bulbs are responsible for substantially more mercury being released into our atmosphere. The amount of mercury released from US power plants just to power Incandescent bulbs in US homes is about 600 metric tons a year.