CFLs

Newsworthy

By admin ⋅ December 31, 2009 ⋅

Although CFL’s are the current, cool, “green” thing to do, there are concerns to think about before purchasing them and other options to decrease your home energy use. Despite the CFL hype, the annual savings you will gain is approximately $40.00 which is good, but not necessarily a great gain. Consider that to truly be energy efficient you can look at how you are consuming energy and in what ways you can upgrade your energy efficiency.

First, you can cut your energy use by turning on the light for the room in which you are “living” and turning off all others. Next, before leaving the house, unplug TV’s, DVDs, easily accessible lamps, etc. which use energy despite being “off.” Last, you can evaluate your appliances by upgrading to Energy Star Qualified models (see www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.)

Through my research and extensive reading, most of the global warming that is generated in the US is from poorly insulated businesses and homes, not from poorly engineered cars or lightbulbs (which from cradle to grave will end up in a landfill contaminating the ground and air with the mercury). Energy loss is the number one culprit of pollution. We’ve heard about hybrid cars and how we should all have one, yet even if we did, it would not make the difference the planet needs. Energy efficiency heating/cooling systems, windows, insulation and weatherization is where we can truly make a difference. If a building is leaking heat, the power company has to expel more natural resources (gas, coal etc.) to heat that building- more as compared to a building that has EE appliances, insulation, solar collectors, etc. Buildings, especially commercial, could be using energy from natural resources like the sun or wind, not gas or coal. It should be a law that each new commercial building that is built should have solar collectors for harnessing their energy.

The main disappointment is that in all of the areas of sustainable living, the government, along with businesses like Home Depot, Lowes and PECO are pushing that something so small and inconsequential as CFL’s will make a difference. It is amazing especially since it is a health and environmental hazard (grave is a landfill). They could be promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Geo-Thermal) more than the flyer insert in a PECO bill. They could encourage consumers to decrease their waste in addition to recycling. They could teach consumers about Life Assessment Cycle and how to cut spending on products whose companies leach energy from the environment.

As per www.holistichelp.net/blog/compact-fluorescent-light-bulbs-the-dangers-of-cfls/:

“Unfortunately most people are unaware of and not many are talking about the fact that although CFL bulbs reduce energy and greenhouse gases, they put our health at an even greater risk than incandescent bulbs. They are energy efficient but not environmentally friendly.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause serious damage to the all the tissues and organs in the body as well as the central nervous system and endocrine system and it disrupts functioning of crucial neurotransmitters in the brain. It is one of the most toxic substances on the planet and has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions like autism, memory problems, infertility, depression, thyroid disorders, alzheimers, adrenal disorders, anxiety, Parkinson’s and MS to name a few. It is especially toxic to children, pregnant women and small pets.

While the mercury is contained in the light bulb there is no risk, however if you drop the bulb on the floor of your home, then you are exposed to dangerous mercury vapors. Many are reporting that it is quite easy to break CFL light bulbs as you are screwing it in the socket. Additionally, when we toss them in the garbage and they are picked up by the garbage company, they are getting broken all over the city and in the landfills. This means that our air and soil is being contaminated with mercury across our cities.”

Each of us needs to be discerning and not believe and buy everything we hear. Just because “they” say it’s good and just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t make it the right individual choice for you. Researching products before buying and demanding companies change how they create products will make us powerful consumers, thus creating a transparent marketplace one in which both the environment and human health is of utmost importance.

Posted by: “greengal09″ on Delco Freecycle Cafe

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