quimac.com

Quite some time ago, the market was flooded with a new light bulb.  It was supposed to use a great deal less energy and last almost forever.  You know the ones – the cute, little swirly ones.  They were supposed to be so great, it spawned a new “going green” goal.  By 2014, the US government has mandated that all incandescent bulbs be replaced with the new compact fluorescent bulbs.

So let’s talk about these new bulbs.  The ones I use in my house have a poorer light quality.  Hospitals are warning they can cause epileptic attacks and migraines.  But they also contain mercury (POISONOUS).  And because they contain mercury, they have to be properly disposed of.  If you don’t, then the “green” concept is “out the window”.  Most people will throw them in the garbage, they will be trucked to a landfill and buried.  The mercury will contaminate the soil and eventually the ground water.

As well, the cost of making these new bulbs is labor intensive, which makes it impossible to produce them in the US.  Those jobs are now lost to the US economy. 

Of course, there are the good things – less coal burned, releasing less mercury, carbon dioxide and other toxins.

So, buy a higher wattage of bulb and RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE.