Are compact flourenscent bulbs more harmful or helpful?

Question

I know they save energy, but they're also bad for the enviroment and people because they have mercury.

Answer 1

CFLs reduce total mercury in the environment.  This is because mercury is one of the byproducts of burning coal, so by saving energy, CFLs require less coal to be burned, and thus less mercury is produced.  They contain so little mercury (the size of the tip of a ball point pen) that they reduce overall mercury in the environment, as this graph illustrates:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mercu...

Plus people don't even come in contact with the mercury in CFLs unless they break the bulb.  When was the last time you broke a lightbulb open?

If you're really that concerned about mercury, you can become even more energy efficient by switching your bulbs to LEDs, which contain no mercury.  They do cost a lot up-front though.

http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/ca...

But over time they save money:

http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/led-sa...

http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/lifeti...

Answer 2

There's too much mercury in fish now.  By having these bulbs tossed into landfills the toxic metals will certainly leach into streams.

In the near future no one will be able to have wild fish again.

We should be working to remove toxins from the home.  What's next?  Bringing back lead paint?

Answer 3

They are hazardous waste and in California they have strict regulations on them. You have to research the area your in to see where you'd dispose of them properly, in some states it is illegal to throw them in the trash.