CFL’s

 We have all been hearing a lot about CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) recently. According to the Energy Star website (www.energystar.gov) CFL’s use 75% less energy, thus producing about 75% less heat saving on energy costs to burn the bulb as well as the reduction of energy to cool a house. The energy savings equates to about $30 per bulb life. If Americans would replace just one traditional light bulb with an Energy Star CFL bulb we could “save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

The same site also states that CFL’s last up to 10 times longer than the traditional incandescent light bulb. With an average cost of $2 per bulb vs the cost of an incandescent at .50 cents, the overall savings in bulb replacement over 1 CFL’s life is about 150%! Taking into consideration that an incandescent would burn out once a year and a CFL could last 10 years.

There are some precautions that consumers need to be aware of when using CFL’s.   They contain a small amount of mercury that is encapsulated inside the bulb. Mercury is considered a neurotoxin and is potentially more dangerous to children and fetuses. The amount of mercury inside the CFL is so small it would only cover the tip of a ballpoint pen and most of the mercury vapor binds to the inside of the bulb.  As long as the bulb is not broken there is no danger. The most common mercury poisoning comes from eating contaminated fish.

CFL’s should not be disposed of in the regular trash.  There are proper ways to dispose of the CFL bulb including some recycling programs from businesses like Home Depot and Ikea for expired or unbroken bulbs.  These retailers handle the bulbs safely and responsibly.  Contact your local Government or Refuse Disposal Company to find out about local disposal programs.

If a CFL bulb breaks, the EPA suggests opening a window and having everyone leave the area, including any pets. They also suggest turning off the heat or AC to stop circulating fans from dispersing airborne mercury throughout the house. After a safe time interval, 15 minutes is suggested, return to the area for proper cleanup.

When cleaning up a broken CFL, do not use a broom or vacuum on hard surface, use cardboard to collect broken glass from bulb and put into a glass container with a metal lid.  Use tape to pick up leftover glass fragment and powder.  Wipe area with a damp paper towel and place in the glass container. Place all material outdoors in protected area for trash collection. Wash hands after clean-up is finished. See your local or state government to find out where to dispose of the broken material.

I have identified some of your personal immediate issues, but also consider this: According to the website N:Vision (http://www.nvisioncfl.com/mercury.aspx) the biggest source of mercury in the air comes through the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, to produce electricity.  Seventy percent of power plants use coal to produce energy.  Power plants emit 10 mg of mercury to produce electricity to run a traditional light bulb compared to 2.4 mg of mercury to run a CFL bulb. Considering this, there is a great impact on the environment and all humanity that is near a power plant anytime within ones existence.

The incandescent light bulb is finding its way legislated out of our daily life. The United States, following the lead of Australia and Europe, have mandated the reduction of sale and use of the light bulb beginning in 2012, with total phase out by 2014. This was far less aggressive than Australia’s 2010 guideline, but still ahead of many Countries around the world.

Taking a look at the energy savings, along with carbon & mercury emissions from above in an individual household, imagine the overall savings and reduction from an entire Country! Although there are many proponents that say the ICLB has been around and done well for 125 years, I believe that the change to CFL’s will be a great benefit to the overall decrease in energy consumption, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels: Making our path to a greener more sustainable Nation shorter!