Weekly Buzz: CFL Light Bulbs

November 25, 2011, By 2 comments

Weekly Buzz: CFL Light Bulbs

Not that long ago, CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) light bulbs looked like something from a science fiction movie. Now they're quite common. I even see them in the homes of friends who are never ever on the cutting edge of, well, anything. Green light bulbs are part of many people's daily lives, including folks who are otherwise not all that interested in green issues.  

It didn't take long for the CFL bulbs to make an impact, despite the fact that they cost more than their incandescent rivals. Also, some people, including me, weren't crazy about the CFL's light color. That cold, white, industrial-looking spray lacked the warmth of the beloved incandescent, with its cozy glow. For an office, sure, CFLs were fine. but at home? It just didn't look the part. Improvements have been made in recent years that make the light less stark.

There was no arguing about the CFL's energy-saving efficiency vs. incandescents, LEDs and other options. They use one-fifth the power of incandescent bulbs and last much longer. An incandescent typically is rated to last between 750 and 1,000 hours. CFLs burn brightly 6,000 to 15,000 hours. You don't need a search light to see that you more than make up the price difference. Energy-efficient light bulbs also help the environment. 

On the EPA's "energy star" website you can find out just how much CFL light bulbs are helping. Consider this fact from the site: "If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb that's earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars."

A lot of people, however, still haven't made the switch. Maybe it's habit. Maybe it's resistance to the price. Maybe it's the information we hear about the difficulty recycling CFLs, which contain mercury and can't go out in your recycling bin. You can call your local waste-removal agency to find out where and when CFLs bulbs are accepted for recycling, or you can go to Earth911.com for that information, as well as a whole lot of other really great stuff about recycling to make the earth a much greener place for all of us—and the next generation—to live.  

 

Comments (2):

Brad B. As this article states, CFLs do contain mercury, but they are a better solution, both economically and environmentally, than incandescent bulbs, which ultimately result in greater mercury exposure than CFLs, because they consume more power and require more power generation. Since mercury is a byproduct of burning coal, coal-fired power plants are a larger source of mercury pollution than the mercury content in the CFLs. Although CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, with a proven packaging configuration and proper disposal, CFLs can be used effectively without releasing harmful mercury vapor. While a variety of containers are marketed for transportation of fluorescent lamps and CFLs, many don't provide sufficient protection against mercury vapor emitted from broken lamps. Using a proven packaging design is vital to ensuring the safety of people who handle these lamps, as well as maintaining their green benefits. Read about a recent study that tested several packaging configurations here: http://vaporlok.blogspot.com/2010/05/layers-of-protection-packaging-used.html If a bulb breaks, consumers can learn more about clean-up procedures here: http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup-detailed.html - 12/05/2011
Otto P. "...Maybe it's habit. Maybe it's resistance to the price. Maybe it's the information we hear about the difficulty recycling CFLs, which contain mercury and can't go out in your recycling bin..." No - Maybe it's also the fact that CFL's cannot be used on standard wall dimmers as incandescents can... LED's are getting close, but until a simpler power supply can be made that can handle the phasing issues of solid-state dimmers, it's going to be a while... - 11/26/2011

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