Posted by
A Real American on Monday, January 28, 2008 9:31:56 AM
EPA: CFLs actually reduces the overall mercury in the environment, even locally.
Primary cause of mercury pollution is coal-fired power generation, which is responsible for 56 percent of the electricity used in the United States. According to the EPA, more energy-efficient
incandescent bulbs lead to the emission of 10 milligrams of mercury, compared to 2.4 milligrams for a compact fluorescent bulb.
Compact fluorescents also contain substantially less mercury than other household devices. For example, a mercury thermometer contains 500 milligrams of the substance, compared to four in a fluorescent bulb. (Mercury thermometers have already been banned in many countries due to their mercury content.)
"There is less mercury emitted from these bulbs than from a coal-fired power plant that will continue to [power] incandescent [bulbs]," said Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute.