CFLs - the bulb everyone except the government hates

[30ashopper]

you're either for us or against us. where have we heard that childspeak before? good/bad black/white/christian/atheist/gay/straight...truly free markets unleash the best and worst in human behavior simultaneously. we are all living in the aftermath of the free market doing it's tap dance on our economic foreheads.

We're living in the aftermath of what happens when government distorts the free market and when politicians service the needs of special interests vs. representing the people.

A simple fix to the whole housing mess would have been a requirement that banks maintain a solid position in any loan they provide. Guess what, some states in this county have such regulation, and they managed to escape the housing downturn because of it.

 

[Andy A]

Has anyone considered how many people will just ignore the warnings and throw broken ones in the trash? If they really are dangerous...Hmmm.

 

[30ashopper]

Has anyone considered how many people will just ignore the warnings and throw broken ones in the trash? If they really are dangerous...Hmmm.

What else can you do with them? (I'm not aware of a recycling program here in Walton county.) These bulbs will end up in our landfills for sure.

 

[LuciferSam]

From what I gather, the dangers of mercury toxicity in the home are exagerrated. There is as much mercury in a fever thermometer as in 125 CFLs. I personally wouldn't be concerned with a single broken CFL even if it happened on my bed. The problem is with accumulation in the landfills. I'm sure plenty of fluorescent lights have been thrown in the trash for decades.

 

[Beach Runner]

From what I gather, the dangers of mercury toxicity in the home are exagerrated. There is as much mercury in a fever thermometer as in 125 CFLs. I personally wouldn't be concerned with a single broken CFL even if it happened on my bed. The problem is with accumulation in the landfills. I'm sure plenty of flourescent lights have been thrown in the trash for decades.

Are mercury thermometers even available anymore? Our daughter has a history of frequent respiratory infections (needs tonsils removed just like my sister had to do at 40, but the physicians are trying to delay it). When she'd get high fevers, we'd compare the readings off the mercury thermometer and two digital ones. The digital ones that can be bought at drugstores were inconsistent, but the mercury one was always consistent. Unfortunately it was dropped and broken. Yes, we followed all of the cleanup guidelines.

We'd like a new one.

 

[Minnie]

Mercury themometers were banned in the US, why................too dangerous. Kinda ironic isn't it.

http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/1224

"Phasing out mercury-containing thermometers is a necessary step to help
reduce mercury pollution to our environment," said Pete Didisheim of the
Natural Resources Council of Maine. "More importantly, we need leadership from
the federal government in taking care of the hundreds of tons of surplus
mercury that will be retired from obsolete manufacturing processes over the
next decade. This bill could help provide that federal leadership on mercury
stockpiles

 

[Beach Runner]

I wonder if they're banned in other countries? Maybe hubby can smuggle one in on a business trip? Let's see, Europe coming up soon, a break, then Australia. :scratch:

 

[scooterbug44]

The mercury when a CFL bulb breaks is vapor. A typical bulb contains about 4 milligrams.

The mercury when a thermometer breaks is liquid and highly toxic. An old fashioned thermometer contains about 500 milligrams.

The mercury saved from using a CFLs is far less than the mercury released by breaking one or throwing it away - because mercury is also in the coal we burn to produce electricity.

Most major hardware chains offer free recycling of the bulbs and some manufacturers have free mail back service.