Todd Whitcombe has determined that the mercury content contained within the CFL bulb is not of sufficient quantity to be a hazard to humans or to the environment, so therefore they are now safe to put into your household garbage and there is no need to dispose of them in a high hazard containment facility.
Let us address the facts that Mr. Whitcombe neglected to address: CFL bulbs should not be used for more than four consecutive hours per day, or the limited warranty becomes void and the life expectancy of the bulb drops to that of an incandescent bulb; a $9 CFL dollar bulb now has a life expectancy of a $2 incandescent bulb; the "dirty" energy emissions from the CFL bulb cause some people to become seriously ill and live with pain; the CFL bulb can produce a burn equivalent to severe sunburn; and the cone of dispersed light is small in comparison to an incandescent bulb.
The only reason the compact fluorescent light is considered "green" is that when it was first introduced it was hailed as using less electrical energy.
Environmental organizations started to promote this product before the hazards were widely known. Now even with the knowledge of the mercury content they still continue to promote the CFL bulb.
The environmental organizations are now left with a choice, do they continue to expound the virtues of the CFL bulb, or do they admit they were wrong and withdraw their support from a bulb that is detrimental to the well being and health of humans and the environment?
Larry Barnes
Prince George
