Monday, August 30, 2010
Not looking forward to 2014
Personally I am suspicious of this outlawing of incandescent bulbs and promoting of CFLs. Follow the money, I say. The disposal of CFLs is complicated and if not followed, which I think for the majority of consumers will not be, could have dangerous results (mercury poisoning in landfills). I may be buying my case load of incandescents sooner than later.
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5 comments:
Us too! We are starting to buy some every time we go to the store. I just don't know where to put them though!
Barb, sadly, you have heard a partial truth. Incandescents overall cause more environmental harm that CFLs do - by a wide margin. (Do a google search for CFL disposal and download the PDF from the EPA.)
Also, CFLs will save the Moody household a significant amount of money in energy bills over the next several years.
Ace Hardware stores will dispose of spent CFLs properly for you. For free.
No ACE hardware stores around here and I went to the State of IL website to find out how to dispose of a broken CFL once (our local hardware store just shrugged their collective shoulders and said, "the trash can!), took about an hour to find out how to do it properly and the site said there are recycling depots, open twice a year! Yeah, hang on to those bulbs until December - then get rid of them.
My question about saving $$ - we've had a few mild winters around these parts when Ameren (our utilities company) decided to raise the rates to make up their difference. Don't you think the utility companies might do the same if we're supposedly saving a significant amount in energy bills. Just the cynic in me asking!
Also - could you direct me to a non-commercial, non-partisan article that clearly, plainly and simply describes the advantages (environmentally - for the planet, and for my pocket book) of CFLs - something like consumer reports or popular mechanics. You'd seem like the go-to guy to know the latest in that area.
Nevermind Paul - I did a search of my own:
www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/news/4217864
Article sounds convincing but I'm have a bit of Luddite in me (should go the way of the candle but that too might burn too much carbon).
Thanks for being open to the idea, Barb.
As for saving $$ - it's the cumulative effect. Years of saving even $2 a month add up to at least a nice meal out. But I suspect it may be more than $2 a month.
I'm a CFL guy because it's satisfying to know that I'm causing a little less coal to be burned. (Sort of.) I think most of the power in the Denver area comes from coal. A nominal amount comes from wind.
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