If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it.
--Lyndon B. Johnson
All About Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs)
Search the web or survey your friends for simple, effective strategies to save energy and reduce pollution, and they will all mention Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs). Why? CFLs are affordable, easy to install, readily available, and produce a lot of energy savings relative to their size and cost.
According to the federal government, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an efficient compact fluorescent, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.
What is a CFL?
A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is fluorescent lighting designed to be used in a standard (incandescent) light bulb socket. Because incandescent bulbs work by heating up a metal filament until it is white-hot, they produce mostly heat, which is why a fluorescent bulb using only 13 watts of electricity can produce light comparable to an incandescent hogging 60 watts.
How does a CFL benefit the environment?
Each 13-watt CFL, over the expected 10,000 hour life of the bulb, will save 470 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity compared to a 60-watt incandescent. If your electricity comes from coal-fired powered plants, this translates to a reduction of over 730 pounds of carbon dioxide (which contributes to global warming), 1.6 pounds of nitrogen oxides (which contributes to ozone and acid rain), and 4.3 pounds of sulfur dioxide (which contributes to haze and acid rain).
Where can I use CFL's?
A 13-watt CFL is only 1/2 inch longer than a standard incandescent bulb. Though thicker near the base, it is smaller in maximum diameter, so it will physically fit almost anywhere an incandescent bulb will. Higher wattage CFL's are bigger, so they may have some size constraints. CFL's should not be used in fixtures that are recessed and enclosed, on a dimmer, or exposed to moisture. Desk, table, and floor lamps are ideal locations as are many indoor ceiling fixtures.
Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.
Ironically, a regular incandescent light bulb actually releases much more mercury into the environment than a CFL. CFLs prevent mercury from entering our air, where it most affects our health by reducing energy demand at the power plant. The highest source of mercury in our air comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal, the most common fuel used in Michigan to produce electricity. A CFL uses up to 75% less energy than an incandescent light bulb and lasts up to 10 times longer. A power plant will emit 10mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4mg of mercury to run a CFL for the same time.7 (mg = milligrams)
More Information About CFLs
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf
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