I had the following comment on my Earth Day posting this past week. I never thought about the fact that these new compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury. I had heard that the big fluorescent lights had nasty stuff in them, but I didn't put two and two together regarding the smaller bulbs.

Something to think about people! When we think we might be doing something good for the environment, it could be that we are helping in one way (energy conservation) but hurting in another (potential contamination of soil).

Do your own research . . . don't take it from me or Johnny 5. Johnny brings a more informed opinion than mine, but it's just one opinion. Go out there and research it for yourself so that you make the right decisions. I know I will

Thank you Johnny 5 for your post! It's great when we can get conversations started.

Johnny 5 said...

As someone who sells light bulbs for a living, I am less enthusiastic than most about compact fluorescent bulbs. This is due to the fact that the ones currently available contain significant amounts of mercury. If one of these bulbs should break inside of a person's home, it could cause a challenging disposal situation. It is my belief that the technology should progress to a point at which the mercury levels are low or nonexistent before people changeover their entire homes. Another consideration is that as these bulbs burn out, they will most likely be thrown away as though they are normal rubbish and landfills will have incredibly high levels of mercury in their soil as a result.