CFL: Good or Evil?

Since all of America is turning into tree-huggers I decided to do a post about CFL light bulbs.
Everyone says they are better.
Right?

But are they?

Alright let's look at what people are saying. It'll be in red and my comments in black.

CFL light bulbs have a longer lasting life

Yes, that's true. But only if you're the kind of person who lives by themselves and leaves lights on all day. CFL's only last long if they are left on for a good amount of time each time you flip the switch. But if you have toddlers that like to flip switches (which most toddlers do) then the light is going to wear out very quickly. CFL's can't be turned on and off a lot because it wears them out. What you have in the end is a 1 month old burnt-out light bulb. Our CFL bulbs burn out faster than the regular ones. We have taken them back to the store many times.


CFL light bulbs use less energy

Ok- so I'm going to go back to my other point. If you turn them on and off a lot then they will get worn out. Here's the process...
1. Buy a CFL light bulb
2. Use CFL light bulb feeling good about yourself
3. CFL light bulb wears out in one month
4. Use ENERGY to drive your car to the store to get more.
4. Pollution from car gas

CFL's are good for the envirorment

CFLs are manufactured to contain 4 mg of mercury per light bulb. If CFLs become widespread, so does the inherent danger of mercury exposure. To give some context to that amount, a typical natural tuna in the U.S. contains about 0.2 mg/kg body weight, which translates into 0.24 ppm mercury in canned tuna. The EPA may suggest that this amount of mercury is negligible and poses no threat to human health or longterm environmental contamination, but even a junior high school chemistry student knows not to trust the government's insistence that a broken mercury thermometer does not threaten an individual's health. In actuality, the current EPA reference dose--the dose below which adverse effects are not recognized--is 0.1 micrograms/kg/day (0.1 micrograms = 0.0001 mg). Because of biological sensitivity to mercury, it is a serious consideration in both production and disposal.



I found that last paragraph on this website http://laraness.livejournal.com/1462.html

And what about that fact? What if the bulb breaks? This was helpful...


CFL packaging does not instruct the consumer what to do if a bulb breaks, let alone warn that they contain mercury and phosphorous powder. The Freedom Enterprise Action Fund is taking the initiative and in May 2007 announced that they are petitioning the Consumer Safety Product Commission (CSPC) to include mercury warnings on CFL packaging.


Also from the above website...


Now, please don't take this the wrong way. I am all for helping the Earth become a better place.
But can't we do it correctly and without having our skin turn green by the light of CFL light bulbs?