Compact Fluorescent Bulbs have Mercury?!?

[RobertVA]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

TerriO said:
That ought to make Times Square even more...interesting.

We already have LCD panels for adverts on just about every subway entrance. So here we're getting used to that kind of thing already.

Several weeks ago I saw a miniature color LCD screen hanging on the edge of a grocery store shelf playing a commercial for a product displayed nearby.

I'm wondering just how useful ads for produce are when they are displayed on the cash register while the customers are paying for their order?

 

[TerriO]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Probably about as useful as the LCD advertisement screens on the inside of elevators in some hotels and office buildings.

 

[Ariadne]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

^^ The ones that have weather and news are nice.

 

[Gertch]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

So could that mean that the price tag on the shelf may someday also display a commercial of sorts? Tiny wireless built in and running off static electricity gathered by the shelf itself.

Anyone have some start up capital?

 

[doubleohfive]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Babaganoosh said:
Most of the pollution around here is noisy neighbors.

...or gassy windbags.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Babaganoosh said:
Big surprise (and by 'big', I mean 'not big'): Barack Obama is pushing for a ban on incandescent bulbs.... Linky

It's already planned here. Why should we continue using old technology that is over 100 years old, and cost 4 times more in power. It's already happening in the rest of the world. Here, they will be gone here in a few years.

Actually, I'm glad I read that link. It reminded me that I need to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy incandescents in bulk.

So you'll go and buy old incandescent lightbulb that will only last 1000 hours of light, compared to CFL, which give 15000 hours of light, and use 20% of the energy to produce the light. The amount of Mercury in these lights is the equivalent as you find on the top of a ball point pen - very little.

(I hope Terri doesn't mind me bumping this, as I work for with these lights everyday)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

ElimParra said: It's already happening in the rest of the world. Here, they will be gone here in a few years.

Perhaps. But until then, I still have a choice.

Actually, I'm glad I read that link. It reminded me that I need to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy incandescents in bulk.

So you'll go and buy old incandescent lightbulb that will only last 1000 hours of light, compared to CFL, which give 15000 hours of light, and use 20% of the energy to produce the light.

Pretty much, yeah. IMHO, the energy savings isn't enough to justify the added hassle of using the things.

I don't use up light bulbs that quickly anyway. I only have to change one maybe once or twice a month.

The amount of Mercury in these lights is the equivalent as you find on the top of a ball point pen - very little.

I still don't trust it.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Dude even if you trusted it you wouldn't trust it.

Grow a thicker damn skin. People used to PLAY with mercury IN THEIR HANDS and were none the worse for wear. Just don't go around breaking the bulbs then sticking your face in the remains and inhaling deeply and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Hell even if you DID do that you'd have nothing to worry about even if you broke a bulb once a week for the rest of your life.

 

[Dale]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

CF bulbs have saved me a freaking fortune so far. My electric bill plummetted.

Playing with mercury was fun back in the day... that stuff is so cool.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Babaganoosh said:

ElimParra said: It's already happening in the rest of the world. Here, they will be gone here in a few years.

Perhaps. But until then, I still have a choice.

You still do at the moment, but changes will happen, as other countries follow the lead of Australia and Canada who have plans to get rid of them. Several already have. I don't see any point in buying them now.

The amount of Mercury in these lights is the equivalent as you find on the top of a ball point pen - very little.

I still don't trust it.

[/QUOTE]

Fine. The amount of mercury is 5mg, but there are low-mercury CFL which have around 2mg.

 

[Tim]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

ElimParra said:

Babaganoosh said:
Big surprise (and by 'big', I mean 'not big'): Barack Obama is pushing for a ban on incandescent bulbs.... Linky

It's already planned here. Why should we continue using old technology that is over 100 years old, and cost 4 times more in power. It's already happening in the rest of the world. Here, they will be gone here in a few years.

Actually, I'm glad I read that link. It reminded me that I need to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy incandescents in bulk.

So you'll go and buy old incandescent lightbulb that will only last 1000 hours of light, compared to CFL, which give 15000 hours of light, and use 20% of the energy to produce the light. The amount of Mercury in these lights is the equivalent as you find on the top of a ball point pen - very little.

To be fair, there are certain applications for which incandescent lamps are better suited (extreme cold, need for a low-resistance load, need for heat and light), so I would not support an outright ban. Further, would this ban include all incandescents, including those in flashlights, cars, instrument panels, etc.?

That said, for most everyday uses, CFLs are clearly more efficient, so perhaps offering some sort of energy discount to those who adopt them would be a good compromise.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

ElimParra said:

Babaganoosh said:

ElimParra said: It's already happening in the rest of the world. Here, they will be gone here in a few years.

Perhaps. But until then, I still have a choice.

You still do at the moment, but changes will happen, as other countries follow the lead of Australia and Canada who have plans to get rid of them. Several already have. I don't see any point in buying them now.

Well, it's not like I'll have to get rid of the incandescents I already have. I just won't be able to buy any new ones. Hopefully that won't be for a long time yet, and by the time they do I'm sure the mercury will be gone.

 

[TerriO]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

doubleohfive said:

Babaganoosh said:
Most of the pollution around here is noisy neighbors.

...or gassy windbags.

And this relates to the subject HOW?

If you're trying to start something, please don't.

 

[Ariadne]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Tim M said:
To be fair, there are certain applications for which incandescent lamps are better suited (extreme cold, need for a low-resistance load, need for heat and light), so I would not support an outright ban. Further, would this ban include all incandescents, including those in flashlights, cars, instrument panels, etc.?

Actually, I suspect that in the winter in Ontario (where about 75% of electricity is non-greenhouse-gas-producing, and homes are mostly heated with natural gas), incandescents actually decrease the amount of CO2 going into the atmosphere.

That said, it's an isolated case and it still makes the electrical bill cheaper.

 

[STARTREK11]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

FACT IS:-


MERCURY KILLS.

 

[David cgc]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Must... not... make... obvious... joke.

To remain on topic, have they made CFLs that compensate for the color cast they give? I know GE came out with those blue-tinted lightbulbs a few years ago that make incandescents give off white light instead of yellow, but is there something similar for florescent bulbs?

 

[LaxScrutiny]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

What really bugs me is, I no longer have the choice to purchase vacuum tubes. I'm forced to use transistors. Damn. Good thing I stocked up back in the 50's.

 

[Ariadne]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

^^ You can get them from music equipment stores, I think.

 

[Non Sync]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

Let’s not forgot about other potential sources of mercury exposure:

Dental fillings
Preservative in vaccines
Thermostats

 

[Saturn0660]

Re: Compact Flourescent Bulbs and Mercury

PlixTixiplik said:
They contain a miniscule amount of mercury - less than 5 milligrams - so do not pose a health hazard. You can read the EPA's guidelines on safe disposal. But if you happen to break one, just open a window to let the area clear, then carefully scoop the fragments into a sealed plastic bag. But really, how often do you break light bulbs?

Also, it's best to recycle them once they've burned out, and your area probably has facilities for that. Things like drop boxes at the post office or whatnot - it will depend on what is set up where you live.

-MEC

true enough.. Also, remember that the tiny bit of mercury they have in them is less then a power plant puts out if you used incandescents over the life of a CFL..