So I've been trying to do my part to save the planet by using those compact fluorescent light bulbs. Sure they cost more and I'm constantly stumbling in the dark during that lag time between flipping the switch and the light actually turning on, but think of all the energy and money I'm saving in the long run!
Maybe in a perfect world, but not mine.
Turns out that my city has stinky electricity (frequent surges, random power outages, etc.) so those bulbs that are supposed to last me 7 years only last about 7 months (if I'm lucky).
Did you realize that the 100 watt CFL bulbs are a lot bigger than the 60 watt ones? I had no idea and now they won't fit in my light fixtures.
They also won't work if you have dimmer switches.
Did you also realize that they contain mercury? So if you accidentally break one, you have to evacuate the room for 15 minutes, close up your ventilation system, clean everything up and put it in a sealed glass jar and then take it to a hazardous waste dump.*
Yeah, you can't just throw these things away. You have to take them to either a recycling center or call your local Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste (oh, good thing I have them on speed dial).
I wish I would've known that. I've been tossing these things in the garbage right and left! The only warning on the package reads "dispose of properly." I thought that meant in a regular trash can (as opposed to feeding them to your children).
That's right. You can blame me for global warming. I'm writing my apology letter to Al Gore right now. Sorry.
*according to www.epa.gov
16 comments:
Other Half and I discussed changing over to CFLs but decided that with very small children, we’re not going to do anything until they fix the whole “these contain mercury” thing.
AZUCAR -- you're a lot smarter than me. I had no idea until just recently.
wow i just learned a ton! thanks!
SHILLIG4FAMILY -- yeah, I saw this on TV and was totally shocked. I checked out the government's EPA Web site just to double check my facts.
Yeah, we only found this out after throwing one away. Luckily AF has decent electricity and we've only had to replace one so far...so I think we can skip the letter to Mr. Gore. :) Maybe they'll get the mercury out before they stop selling regular light bulbs, I hope!
I am with you on this one sister. Doesn't the fact that it takes forever to turn on mean it is ultimately using more energy?
Think about it, if you turn the light on for 40 seconds to find something in the storage room with the old light bulbs. As apposed to waiting 20 minutes before you can go in there to see?
But Lois, thank you for thinking about the planet.
Wow! I had NO idea! I have them all in my house! HOLY! (in a house full of kids!!!)
And, I have the same problem, they lasy only about 6-7 months & I have just thrown them out too. OIY!
I'm going to post a link to this post if you don't mind. People need to know this!
Thanks.
did you hear that utah from the trib said utah was the worst in the world in global warming....is that true????
Wow! I had no clue about any of that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge though! It is much appreciated.
SUZIQ -- oh, are they going to stop selling the regular ones? Will they make dimmer-friendly CFLs?
McMILLANS -- hey, I didn't think about that. You're too smart.
BOUFMOM9 -- maybe it's not because of my stinky power, maybe they really do only last 7 months! What a rip-off! You can go ahead and link this, that's fine with me. I got my info from www.epa.gov if people need more information.
PUTZ -- oh, are we really? That's horrible! I wouldn't put it past us, though.
THEHMC -- yeah, how come they're never saying this when they talk about how great they are? I just happened to see a short story on them on TV and then researched it. Here I've been throwing them away in the regular trash all this time!
I had to look it up, but according to Wikipedia President Bush signed legislation that will phase out incandescent bulbs by 2012. So they have a few years to get their act together.
We have CFLs in all our light fixtures, and since we don't let our daughter eat them, I don't worry too much about it. I won't throw any more of them away, though. I have heard Ikea takes them.
SUZIQ -- Ikea? I'll just put the burnt out ones in a safe place until I go to Ikea (which I've never been to in my life, but this is now a good excuse!). Thanks for the tips and research.
Oh, great.
First, my dentist is out to get me with mercury and now lightbulbs.
GEO -- oh, I know my dentist is out to be me. I'm sure that my fillings are ripe with mercury and probably LEAD! Oh, did I mention that those dental sealants have Bisphanal-A in them? That plastic that causes hormonal problems? Thanks a lot!!!
We've been using them for years & have never had one burn out... And, I've always considered this state lax. Their work ethic stinks... But, we rarely have electrical issues. I read somewhere just yesterday that these lightbulbs can compromise your immune system, too... (WHY wasn't listed. Maybe the mercury? Maybe the light itself...) If Utah is worse than SC, than y'all must be REALLY bad! SC recycles very li'l & very few actually participate. I'd be interested in seeing where that 411 re: Utah's global warming came from. The sealent contains BPA AND floride... both of which are highly toxic. (Don't drink your tap water! Filter it first or drink filtered bottled water or distilled water...) If you're trying to live w/in your budget- what you can afford will kill you. What's good for you will kill your budget... (That's assuming it's actually what it claims to be. Horizen milk & Earth's Best Formula use toxic sources of DHA...) We don't vax & go to the doc only for our well-baby checkups. We're seen as 'radicals', but someone who takes their kid in for every li'l sniffle is handed antibiotics like they're Pez & given a pat on the back for acting so 'responsibly'. Clearly, you just gotta do whatever YOU feel is best- in spite of what anyone else says... BTW- Thanks for the 411, Lois!
SC MOMMIE -- you are so right about the "what you can afford will kill you and what's good for you will kill your budget" part. That is for sure.
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