April 29, 2007
CFL Bulbs - Not Light on Budget
There has been a rush by global warming alarmists to force everyone to have to buy the compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFLs) to save the world. When I put some into our house, my wife pulled them all out because the light from them was not acceptable. It's a good thing that she didn't break one in the process.
How much money does it take to screw in a compact fluorescent lightbulb? About $4.28 for the bulb and labor — unless you break the bulb. Then you, like Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine, could be looking at a cost of about $2,004.28, which doesn’t include the costs of frayed nerves and risks to health.Sound crazy? Perhaps no more than the stampede to ban the incandescent light bulb in favor of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) — a move already either adopted or being considered in California, Canada, the European Union and Australia.
According to an April 12 article in The Ellsworth American, Bridges had the misfortune of breaking a CFL during installation in her daughter’s bedroom: It dropped and shattered on the carpeted floor.
Aware that CFLs contain potentially hazardous substances, Bridges called her local Home Depot for advice. The store told her that the CFL contained mercury and that she should call the Poison Control hotline, which in turn directed her to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Well, now that you know that the Dept. of Environmental Protection has been called, can you guess where this is going? Here's the link to the article so that you can read all about this expensive game. LINK
I played with mercury from broken thermometers when I was a kid, and I'm not dead yet, although some may claim that it affected me. Enviromentalists have gone too far to not weigh costs vs. benefits, but what do they care as long as it's someone else's money.
Posted by Woody M. at April 29, 2007 10:10 PM | TrackBack"Aware that CFLs contain potentially hazardous substances, Bridges called her local Home Depot for advice. The store told her that the CFL contained mercury and that she should call the Poison Control hotline, which in turn directed her to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection."
Well as you say this poor soul was the direct author of her own misfortune. The time to really back away from the phone was when the EPA was mentioned by ANYONE. I can't see me picking up the phone in the first place to be honest. And I find myself curiously unsympathetic to Ms Bridge's plight. I too played with mercury when much younger. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES would I ever pay $2000.00 to clean up a broken light bulb. That's INSANE.
Posted by dougf at April 29, 2007 09:57 PM
I would say that her clean-up cost is a tax on her stupidity, but, when the government is notified of something minor like this, whoever takes the call should have enough common sense to tell her to clean it up and leave them alone. It's like me calling the fire department when we light my birthday candles...well, maybe when we light one of my kid's.
Posted by Woody at April 30, 2007 07:07 AM
As usual you have missed the point and have latched onto a story that is silly and stupid.The article has completely missed point that GE and Sylvania have a phone number on the side of their packaging to direct consumers to bulb recycling centers. Wal-Mart and these companies are working with local governments to get bulb recycling in place. These bulbs are very recycleable. Save hundreds of dollars. The list goes on and on.
The fact she broke one amazes the heck out of me since I've dropped one of them onto a garage floor and it didn't break. So I'm going to call shananigans on this story and on you. Once again Woody you have painted for me your complete lack of understanding and intelligence on this or any subject of environmental significance.
Posted by psyberwolfe at April 30, 2007 05:57 PM
Yeah, like everyone saves the packaging of light bulbs in case they would think to look on the sleeve to see what to do if the bulb breaks or burns out. Who does that? Do you?
The reason your bulb didn't break on the garage floor could be because your garage is littered with old boxes. Unlike your super bulb, I have seen these broken on the shelves of stores and on their floors.
There are no shananigans, and I provided links to the original newspaper story and the source of this article.
Did you miss the point that government has no common sense and that "working families" who try to do the right thing get abused by agencies and regulations. You focused on the bulb and not the problem. Don't talk to me about understanding and intelligence.
But, we don't need bulbs that cost more and put out sorry light and increase the risk of eye fatique. Will liberals just leave everyone else alone for just one week and quand mind their own business.
Posted by Woody at April 30, 2007 06:32 PM
Well, the palm of my hand hit the enter key and the last sentence was botched.
When are we going to get flourescent computer screens?
Posted by Woody at April 30, 2007 06:33 PM
Yes I do save the box because that is your warranty. Additionally I'm saving the light bulbs I replace from this rental place so I can take my good bulbs with me.
When I dropped the bulb it landed on the cement.
Yes I did read the story and it comes from one of those worthless we're right you're wrong sites.
As for eye strain yet again you show your concerted effort for ignorance. The light put out by a CFL is the same watage as an incandescent bulb. It does not cause eye strain anymore than a incandescent bulb. If you are talking about the color being off than chances are good you got the "daylight corrected" CFL which is blue as opposed to the regular CFL wich is the same color as a light bulb.
The answer to you smart alec question is yes. We already have them they are called plasma screens.
Posted by psyberwolfe at May 1, 2007 09:38 AM
I love flourescent bulbs. They put out much less heat that regular bulbs (I live in the hot, humid South) and last much longer, too. I have a light in a stairwell that requires a 12 foot ladder to change but I haven't had to touch it in two years thanks to using a long-life flourescent bulb. It's supposed to last five, I think.
And mercury really is poisonous. Research the phrase "mad as a hatter" sometime.
Posted by e. nonee moose at May 1, 2007 11:02 AM
I read the primary story, and guess what the allowable limit for mercury is in that state. 3 billionths of a gram. Folks, do the math to convert this to a recognizable number, say, ounces, and the decimal looks like this. 0.000000000105 ounces.
That is equivalent to throwing a quarter into the city of Houston.
I am as skeptical of that analysis as you seem to be about global warming. Paying to have that amount of mercury removed, makes the question, How do you know that they got it?
How close to zero must a body get in order to say it's zero?
Posted by James S Melbert at May 1, 2007 12:14 PM
Wolf, yes, I can believe that you save your light bulb package. As for me, if the bulb burns out in 900 hours and it's supposed to get 1,100, it's my tough luck, because I'm not living in clutter just to enforce a warranty of pennies.
On the bulbs, wattage does not translate to lumens. The light from a CFL bulb equivalent to the wattage of a regular bulb is definitely less.
The story originated with a newspaper--not the blogger.
Posted by Woody at May 1, 2007 05:07 PM
When did clutter become the issue? Oh thats's right it became the issue when I shot down your theories and incorrect beliefs. If clutter in my house is all you got then well friend you surely have proved how wrong you are. (BTW when have you ever been to my house?)
Posted by psyberwolfe at May 1, 2007 08:13 PM
Wolfie, you just believe that you shot down my "theories." It was just plain stupid to think that any normal person saves the sleeves that light bulbs come in just in case they need to read the instructions and guarantees.
Posted by Woody at May 1, 2007 08:22 PM
Woodie normal people do save things like warranty papers contact info and other important documents. I have a filing cabinet for those things. Just because you don't doesn't make your choices what all Americans do.
Posted by psyberwolfe at May 2, 2007 09:17 AM
