Simple things we all can do.

Yeah they are growing because they are profitable. Did you ever have to pay to dispose of an incandescent bulb? Gore is making money off energy offsets, ever ask yourself who pays for those? Fuel for your car is now over 4.00 per gallon, You bought those bulbs now you have to pay extra to dispose of them...who's making out?

How many of you know what energy offsets are?

 

Are compact-fluorescent lights dangerous?
Q:
I keep reading about how energy efficient compact-fluorescent lightbulbs are, and I agree that saving energy is important. I’ve also heard that compact fluorescents contain mercury. Is this a bad trade?
L.R., Nashville, TN


A:
Senior editor Daniel S. Morrison replies: Compact-fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use about 70% less energy than old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, and they can last 10 times longer. But that energy efficiency comes with a price: mercury.


Mercury has long been identified as highly toxic. In humans, it can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “High levels of methyl-mercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system, making the child less able to think and learn.” Ironically, mercury is an ingredient in scores of consumer products, including cosmetics (eyeliner, mascara, and skin creams), children’s sneakers, thermostats, and fluorescent lights.

CFLs contain around 4 mg of mercury, a small amount compared to what can be found in fluorescent tubes, neon lights, and thermostats.

But is mercury content for energy efficiency a bad trade? Let’s look a little deeper. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in many rocks. One of those rocks is coal. When coal is burned, mercury is released into the air. As it turns out, coal-fired electricity plants are the single-biggest source of airborne mercury in the United States (40%), followed by industrial boilers (10%), hazardous-waste burning (5%), and chlorine production (5%).

Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land, where it can be washed into lakes and rivers. There, microorganisms convert it to methylmercury, the most-common form of mercury exposure in humans. Mercury concentration builds up in fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish, including people.

Mercury in a CFL isn’t dangerous as long as the bulb doesn’t break. But burning coal always releases mercury, which ends up in the air, the soil, and the water. While we’d like there to be no mercury in a CFL, at least fluorescents have a comparatively tiny amount. I think it’s a good trade.

Unbroken CFLs should be recycled, which can be challenging in many places. Start by going to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling for info. Broken bulbs should be cleaned up and thrown away. Click on the "read more" box below for instructions on how to properly clean up a broken fluorescent light.



Compact-fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. About 4 mg of mercury is contained within a compact-fluorescent bulb. This amount is about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. Standard 4-ft. fluorescent tubes contain 10 times that much. Neon lights have 25 times as much, and a standard residential wall-mounted thermostat contains 750 times as much.


From Fine Homebuilding 194, pp. 90

March 5, 2008

 

Really? You have to pay to dispose of fluorescent bulbs? It's free here, along with all other electronic waste disposal. The cost is covered by the regular trash fees.

 

how can they expect people to recycle stuff if it costs money? Wow, I'd rather just trash it... what are they gonna do, arrest me?

 

use tap water instead of bottled! this will save tons of plastic. and believe it or not, tap water is cleaner than bottled.

 

My tap water, while perfectly clean, tastes really terrible.:ack2:

However, for Mothers Day, I got a reverse osmosis unit and my water is great now!

 

watch nature, do as it does.

 

Okay, I think I can see being like clouds or rivers, what with go with the flow and all.
But I think I'll pass on hurricanes and tornados!

 

Even better than CFL, though more expensive and probably harder to find, L.E.D. bulbs. That is: light emiting diodes, they are bright white and they don't burn out, or at least for a very, very long time.
Create a compost dump, put the organic waste there instead of the trash.
Plant trees and make gardens, looks beautiful and transfers the CO2.
Obviously, bike and walk over drive.
Use biodegradable soap, found in most camping shops.
Solar/wind energy
When you're cold put on a sweater, my mom is a great advocate for this one. If you're hot, open a window.
Re-use clothes, as in wear clothes more than once then wash 'em.
Go garage saling and go to farmers markets.
Re-use bottles before recycling.
And of course, elect the Green Party

 

Basics all really help, yanno just turning off the water while brushing teeth, turning off the lights, turn off computer monitors when you're not using them, use blackle.com instead of google, its eco-friendly and saves energy.
That's a start