Green Light a Worry

STORY:
The European Union will ban the traditional 100 watt filament light bulbs next September. But in Britain, most chain stores have started a voluntary ban this month, in favor of the energy-saving fluorescent ones.

But people who dislike the energy-saving bulbs are in a panic buying the traditional ones wherever they can find them.

At one small electrical shop in London staff can't keep up with demand.

[Nicky Derrick, Assistant Manager]:
"Normally I sell maybe twenty a day, some people buy packs of ten, some people buy one or two. Yesterday I was selling them in tens, twenties, thirties, forties and so on, and then we ran out completely because I only had three hundred in, which is enough for a couple of months normally."

Some customers are concerned about the mercury content in the energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps also known as CFL's.

[Sarah Adams, Customer]:
"I've read things about them having cancer causing elements in them. And I am worried about if they smash, the mercury in them might cause health issues."

Health charities are encouraging people to stockpile. They say the flickering in the CFL's can trigger migraines and affect people suffering from lupus and epilepsy. They also say CFLs can cause skin irritation.

[Lee Tomkins, Director, Migraine Action]:
"Some of the bulbs do actually have a bit of a flicker. It is also the quality of the light. In any light there is a spectrum of colour, there's reds and there's blues, and migrainers are very affected by the blue end of the spectrum... unfortunately a lot of green energy light bulbs do give out quite a blue light.

Health charities are campaigning for medical exemptions or the possibility of having prescriptions for people intolerant of low-energy bulbs.

[Paul Benjamin, Migraine Sufferer]:
"I certainly don't want to be using the new compact fluorescent light bulbs. They are fine for some people but if you have got migraine or epilepsy, I suffer from migraine, fluorescent light bulbs are just not an option."

Medical charities are calling for further studies to be completed before any ban is imposed.

But green campaigners say CFL's are perfectly safe.

[Paula Owen, Energy Saving Trust]:
"The old style traditional light bulb - 95 percent of energy used in that light bulb is wasted as heat. Only five percent is used as useful light. Whereas with a new more efficient light bulb all of the energy used is for light and what that means is that it can use up to 85 percent less of the electricity to light a room than it did with the old traditional light bulb, so it is much, much more efficient."

Ms. Owen also argues that the mercury contained in a CFL is one percent of what is present in a household thermometer and therefore poses no risk to health.

By 2012 all incandescent bulbs will be totally banned in Europe... except, of course, for those who've been stockpiling.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Ntd
• NTDTV
• news
• European
• Union
• Britain
• ban
• Green
• Light
• filament
• fluorescent
• mercury
• energy-saving
• CFL
• London

[Lisa282828]

NO BULB BAN!!! FREEEEEEEDOM!!!

[rollzlx]

I'd rather sit in the dark then use that new trash!!!! I can say for a fact they give me headaches!!!!

[noreaga12326]

@darrencred incandescents give off more natural light than a compact flourecent. u must be blind

[darrencred]

wrong. bulbs are 90% heat

[TheGeek1028]

They work fine for me. Just don't break them!