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For once I agree with conservatives. This was an asinine law, and nothing more than a giveaway to manufacturers. I hate CFLs. The color of the light still isn't correct in my opinion, and they can't produce nearly the lumens, despite what the packaging says. Their cost is still MUCH higher. The energy savings is minimal. And I frankly don't care if a bulb lasts ten years. I think we all know what happens when a light bulb stays in the socket too long.
Yeah, it costs you 4 times as much and they last half as long. Then you put them in the garbage - massively more e-waste. Idiocy beyond belief.
I'm glad they banned incandescent bulbs. It's a century old technology which wastes huge amounts of energy on heat. I've switched my whole house to high lumen LED's. Even though it cost more than $1000, my electric bill has dropped over 20%. I figure I'll be even in just over a year.
I'm not a tree hugger, but this is one "green thing" that makes total sense, and I've cut my carbon footprint way way down. Next will be a 3kw grid tie solar system.
I hate CFL's, but that mercury poisoning thing is total BS!
As recently as 2007, CFLs contained about 5 milligrams, enough to cover a ballpoint pen tip. Since then, regulations in the European Union, which have also been adopted in California and other areas, have mandated that the amount of mercury in CFLs be limited to 3.5 mg by 2012 and 2.5 mg by 2013.
I'm glad they banned incandescent bulbs. It's a century old technology which wastes huge amounts of energy on heat. I've switched my whole house to high lumen LED's. Even though it cost over $1000, my electric bill has dropped more than 20%. I figure I'll be even in just over a year.
Unless you're taking cooling and heating days into account, you really don't know how much money you're saving. Our power consumption is largely computers and climate control. Do they make an LED furnace?
Unless you eat the bulb, you aren't getting mercury poisoning.
Mercury evaporates and becomes airborne hence the reason you should air out a room where one is broken. Exposure risks are far greater in the home where a bulb is broken because of higher concentrations.
While I haven't researched this thoroughly overall my understanding is that there is less mercury in the bulb than the energy that would have gone into using an incandescent so local deposition rates could be lowered however that's not the whole picture. Mercury is global issue and most emissions are from China and other Asian countries. It' certainly possible you could increase deposition rates here in the US becsue of manufacturing facilities in China...
Unless you eat the bulb, you aren't getting mercury poisoning.
I tell you what, break one then inhale. Especially when you have to sweep up the debris. Mercury vapor everywhere.
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