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Mercury in CFL's

SWITCHING TO C-F-L’S, COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS, IS AN EASY WAY TO REDUCE YOUR ENERGY USE.  BUT SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MERCURY THEY CONTAIN?  FIND OUT ON THIS ENVIRONMINUTE.

THERE ARE ABOUT FIVE MILLIGRAMS OF MERCURY IN THE AVERAGE C-F-L.  AND WHILE THIS IS ABOUT A HUNDRED TIMES LESS THAN MANY THERMOMETERS, IT DOES MEAN YOU SHOULD HANDLE AND DISPOSE OF THE BULBS CAREFULLY.

YET IT SHOULD NOT DETER YOU FROM USING THEM.  IN FACT, MARIA VARGAS OF THE E-P-A SAYS SWITCHING TO C-F-L’S HELPS REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MERCURY RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

VARGAS: BECAUSE CFL’S USE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ENERGY THAN THE INCANDESCENT LIGHTBULBS THAT THEY REPLACE, THEY ACTUALLY HELP REDUCE NET MERCURY EMISSIONS.  THIS IS BECAUSE COAL-BURNING POWER PLANTS ARE THE SINGLE LARGEST SOURCE OF HUMAN-CAUSED MERCURY EMISSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM.      

To find out where you can recycle your CFLs, visit: http://lamprecycle.org/

For detailed information about how and where to recycle your CFLs, visit: http://www.Earth911.org.

Get help finding the right fluorescent light bulb for your every need at http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=632

For more information on CFLs, visit the EPA site.

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/cfl_info.html

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org