Posted on 11/05/2010 8:56:12 AM PDT by Libloather
The danger of new 'green' light bulbs
by Abbie Burke
Posted: 11.04.2010 at 2:20 PM
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- They burn brighter, longer, and use less energy. But the squiggly looking light bulbs known as CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) light up using mercury, a potentially dangerous element.
Switching out old light bulbs to the new CFLs is one of the easiest ways to go green. But what is done with the CFLs after they burn out is perhaps even more important for the environment.
"You don't want that mercury ending up in the landfill, which could then end up getting into the ground and into the ground water," said Melodee Gordon, conservation specialist with Colorado Springs Utilities.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exposure to mercury can cause damage to the brain, heart, kidneys and lungs.
When put into a landfill the EPA says mercury can potentially find its way into streams and lakes, where fish and shellfish can change it into methyl mercury, a highly toxic form, which can then be ingested by humans.
So what should be done with mercury containing CFLs?
(Excerpt) Read more at coloradoconnection.com ...
Check the used furniture and appliance places..also ask around for a plumber that might have one. Another thing I do is adjust the water level up as far as possible.
“How did we manage when they broke and mercury scattered into tiny beads to be swept up.(?).
We played with it. It made such cool little balls, and if you put in on a piece of paper it went skittering around all over the place. Kids today are deprived of the wholesome good fun of playing with things like liquid mercury, so they play with things like satanically-inspired video games, which is one of the reasons they grow up to be maladjusted homicidal maniacs.
I’m still waiting for the first act of disobedience where a few people rush into Council chambers and smash CFL bulbs just to watch the commielibs freak out. What will the protesters be charged with? Attempted murder?
-it happened at a one-room school in Wisconsin--we rolled the mercury around in our hands, then somebody lucky enough to have pennies made them look "silver" temporarily---
I’ve broken those crappy things more than once and I don’t follow the safety procedures and it hasn’t hurt me yet. Once when I was changing one of the things it broke right in my face and the contents went in my mouth and nose, they break to darn easy.Did you actually get sick or did someone just advise you to get detoxed?I detest those lousy pieces of garbage. Won’t have ‘em at home but my boss is certain they save energy.That said every time one of them breaks or goes out I ignore him and put a regular bulb in. Can’t stand the things they’re so dim they make my eyes hurt.
The flickering of CFLs drives me bonkers, gives me a headache every time, not to mention the high pitched noise they make. I have stockpiled the incandescants until sanity returns to this country.
You obviously don’t have small children/grandchildren or pets. Or the fumble fingers of old age. We can break five in a week if it’s the right week.
The first claim is debatable. The second claim is correct, as is the third.
I had a girlfriend who got sick over a several month period. She was hospitalized four times before they did exploratory surgery only to discover nothing. After the surgery she found mercury beads in the back of the toilet. Turns out the mercury was in the water tower that fed her neighborhood. The AF had to move all the people out of those houses because they had to close that water tower. It would be interesting to know how many people had effects from that water before she got sick and they made the connection.
So do I.
Three of them, in fact. Also a good well.
Guess what? I've never had to flush twice, even to dispose of the biggest "load".
I dropped mine 2 points in a month using just those things.
The hard part is maintaining a consistent, constant flushing...if you get it “moving” and then lapse with the herbal jazz, [because you “forgot”] it just redeposits elsewhere.
If your're talking about mercury poisoning, why not get your doctor to prescribe chemet? 14 days and done.
I don’t have grand children but I do have a young child and plenty of pets. I’m not too old but I AM a butterfingers at times. ;) lol
It honestly has never been a problem for us. Watch me now that I’ve said that, I’ll end up breaking a few. ;D
As kids, we loved broken thermometers, and would take the tiny beads and rub them into nickels to make them shiny. Who knows what evil lurks that my docs haven’t discovered as yet.
OTOH, I hate the flourescent bulbs I had to put in my kitchen when we remodeled, can’t dim them, don’t like the light, etc. And I can’t put anything else in that I know of since they have a slotted base, I think, rather than being interchangeable with a screw in bulb. Don’t like them at all.
Oh, I agree with that, that they shouldn’t be FORCING us to use them, that’s not cool. As adults I think we should be able to make our own decisions. You’re right on the money. :)
I have already asked you privately - please stop sending mail to my inbox. I have deleted what you have sent without reading.
I’m asking you nicely to stop contacting me. Thank you.
I hoard the good ones as well. I also complain EVERY TIME I am in a hotel that uses them. “Too dark, Cant see” “Bad lights, never lit up” Yes, every single time I make a complaint. They are also fun to unscrew just enough to make people think they dont work when you hit the switch. lol
I can see the libs pushing next for it to be a FELONY to throw them out in the trash, and require mandatory recycling with tracking from purchase to disposal. Thats about all they do, make life miserable.
What this article didn't mention is that these ladies thought painting their teeth and lips with the paint was cool and fun. There was a pictoral article with the photos they did, but I can't find it. Just because we played with mercury in school, doesn't mean it didn't/hasn't hurt us. We all die, but we can choose not to participate in things that will give us a painful death.
I don't know about using less energy, but my experience is that they do not burn brighter and burn out at a much higher rate than the incandescent ones. Plus when they break they expose anyone in the area to a hazardous material - perhaps we'll soon have a regulation to call a hazmat team to clean up broken “green” bulbs.
We have returned 100% to the old fashioned bulbs.
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