Compact Fluorescent: Are they Bad for the Environment?

When environmentally conscious consumers go to the store, they think about how they can reduce their carbon footprint and seek to buy products that achieve that end. One of the most publicized things seems to be to buy compact fluorescent light bulbs over incandescent ones since the former use less energy than the latter. In theory, compact fluorescent light bulbs are better than the incandescent light bulbs since individuals do not have to worry about their carbon footprint and thereby how much carbon dioxide they are emitting into the atmosphere. Yet, what is often overlooked, however, is the component parts in the fluorescent bulbs--mercury.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs may be problematic from an environmental standpoint sincemercury "is a potent neurotoxin, and it's especially dangerous for children and fetuses." As a result, from a human health standpoint it can successfully be argued that compact fluorescent light bulbs while being energy efficient are bad for the environment with the mercury they contain. After all, shouldn't children and pregnant women be safe from harmful neurotoxins? To illustrate why CFL's are better than incandescent light bulbs despite containing mercury, Wendy Reed said "even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent light bulbs. That's because they use electricity." As a result, compact fluorescent light bulbs are similar to a good news bad news situation from an environmental standpoint. While they do contain mercury which is harmful from an environmental standpoint especially to the most vulnerable in society--women and children--they are not as harmful as incandescent bulbs.

What picking compact fluorescent light bulbs may involve then is picking the best among a group of light bulbs that may not be 100% environmentally friendly. If one light bulb brand is better for the environment than the other, then of course it makes sense to pick that particular brand even if it is not totally environmentally friendly. Until a light bulb is developed that does not contain mercury, it is very evident that CFL's trump incandescent bulbs not only from an energy efficiency standpoint since they use less energy, but also from an environmental one since there is less of the mercury substance in them.

In situations where the choices may not be as desirable as one wants, it is clear that if they are environmentally conscious going with what is the most friendly to the environment hands down is what one should go with. That is certainly the case when choosing between incandescent light bulbs and CFL's. The ultimate solution is that if it is at all feasible and doable would be to develop light bulbs that do not have mercury.

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