why does this website say that "eco-friendly" light bulbs are eco-friendly??? I'm so sick of the propaganda!!!
mercury is possibly the second most toxic substance on earth (after radioactive substances)
according to THIS website....
"the amount of mercury inside an individual lamp is not large enough to pose a hazard to users."
"CFL light bulbs do contain small levels of mercury – the current average is 4mg per lamp"
O.K. well...
NZ food regulations set a legal limit for mercury in food of 0.5 parts per million
this means that the mercury in ONE light bulb will pollute 8,000 litres of water to an unsafe level!!!
yeah? but....
The Electricity Commission has agreed to support the installation of up to three million energy-saving bulbs in New Zealand homes by end of June 2007. (last year)
so 3,000,000 times 4mg equals 12 tonnes of mercury!!!
Now that sounds really safe!!!
how much of this will end up in landfills, then our ground water????
Possibly all of it???
I called the council and asked "where do i dispose my toxic lightbulb" and was told there is nowhere to dispose it safely. i should wrap it in plastic the put in the bin!!!
I'm failing to mention the other toxic substances that you'll also find in a compact fluorescent. these include cadmium, nickel, p.c.b's, p.v.c, copper, aluminium etc....
Also, one other thing you won't read in your local paper is that the light output from a fluorescent lamp is high in U.V.B frequencies. Actually 20 times higher than the sun. U.V.B frequency is the one that causes skin cancer. So make sure you slap on plenty of sun screen. (Being careful to avoid the benzene and other petroleum products which you will find in the sunscreen)
And yet another problem is that the power factor of these lamps is around 0.5 This means that it actually uses double the amount of power that they state on the packet. Ask your local electrician what power factor is if you don't believe me.
some info on how mercury affects your body... http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20070701.htm
how to detox from mercury... http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/klinghardt-heavymetalchelation.html
P.S. Do you really think the government and their corporate bosses care about the planet??? [Edited for profanity - Andrew]
research "codex Alimentarius" and help stop it if you don't want all your food to be irradiated by law. It will also make it illegal to grow food in your garden and give it to people.
Submitted by andy on 30 June 2008 19:18:43
Comments
Hi Andrew,
Just to response to the disposal of the CFL's or Fluro's please visit www.interwaste.co.nz.
We are a company with NZ wide coverage and have arrangements with many local bodies,councils and electrical suppliers for the collection, transportation & disposal of the CFL's, Fluorescent Tubes and Sodium lighting.
But as you suggest there are many more we are still working with to setup these correct disposal practices.
Submitted by Roger Henderson on 17 December 2008 12:27:55
Hi Guy
You need to look at your calculations, your result of 12 tonnes of mercury is 1000 times out, try 12 kg.
Submitted by andrew.brake on 12 June 2009 09:41:48