The CFL mercury nightmare [break a compact fluorescent, face $2000 in cleanup costs]

[chahta]

Good example of "good stewardship" would'nt ya say?

[Vonne]

Just don't drop one.

Has your electric bill gone down any?

My electric bill last month for my townhouse was... $18, with useing all CFL :thumbup

[BlessedinHim]

my mom and I both did the play with the mercury thing to, and it is way cool to look at. I still have a mercury thermometer, guard it with my life. They dont sell them in the stores anymore.

[felixthecat]

Quick silver isn't something I'd play with today. When younger I didn't know better. My "playtime" was limited with it since my mother and father had more sense that I at the time and told me the dangers of it. It's kind of interesting that the increased mercury, in vaccines could be causing Autism ... there appears to be evidence for that ... again, it's unwise to minimize the legitimate damage that mercury can do to you.

I wouldn't play or ingest a heavy metal, like lead paint. It's a posion and will have you brain dead if enough is ingested.

It should be interesting to see what steps you will have to go through to dispose of it when the bulb no longer works. What landfill will they be dumped? Of course in transit they will break ... Should be interesting ... .

[BlessedinHim]

yeah, dont play with it, but we want to inject you and your children with it anyway. Make sure it gets in your blood. I dont take shots unless it is absolutely necessary.

[Vonne]

It should be interesting to see what steps you will have to go through to dispose of it when the bulb no longer works. What landfill will they be dumped? Of course in transit they will break ... Should be interesting ... .

Generally you should be able to take them back to your communities recycling center, or at the very least thats the intention. As for the whole mercury concerns... particularly in America with our cheap coal fired electricity; using electricity puts mercury into the air.

[Big Daddy]

The long traditional flouresent tubes have merc in them too.
They have been using them for years.

The amount of mercury in that bulb is so small, you could have opened a window and the problem would be solved.

I played with mercury as a kid too.
Had a nice test tube full of it.
I understand it evaporates very readily and an uncapped bottle will fill a room with mercury vapor pretty quick.

[Big Daddy]

Good old Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp)

[Old 33]

Good old Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp)
So wait...Joseph Farah and WND published a false story?

Wow!

[Big Daddy]

So wait...Joseph Farah and WND published a false story?

Wow!
:lol2
Well, not entirely false, as I don't think anyone would argue that mercury is NOT harmful.

I googled "mercury danger if CFL" and there was a site that had a quote from a MIT scientist regarding the level of dangers involved in using CFL's.

It amounted to this, the concentration of mercury that one would be exposed to in the event a CFL broke, is WAY below the minimum safe exposure limits set by the regulatory agencies.

Joseph Farah wants to sell his news site, and no one buys "good news" :)