Thank you for you comments. I agree, CFLs are not a silver bullet but more of an attempt to change a direction of wasteful energy use which is having a catastrophic impact on our ecosystem. We should all be conscientious of both the positives and negatives or our choices but what we should all agree on is that something must change and it will take a concerted effort to repair the damage that has been done.

Secondly, scientific reports are coming out about the dangers of UV. In offices, they are almost always used due to the cheapness of the fixtures and the lights. But, with more and more people suffering from eyestrain and dry eyes caused by flourescent light, especially 60hz flicker, stress is mounting on office workers.

Studies in Australia have shown that the UV from flourescent tubes raises pollution levels indoors as it reacts with emissions from plastics, resins, etc.

The breakage of single envelope tubes releases dangerous amounts of mercury and according the environmental standards must be removed by workers in hazmat suits and evacuation of areas. Many homes are not capable of flushing the air of a room, especially at deep sub-zero temperatures.

Reports of experiences with faulty manufacture has lead to electrical shocks from removed bulbs, fires from bases etc. This has happened to me inspite of the insistance of authorities that it should not happen. Plastic has been substituted for the ceramic bases to reduce cost.

These lights still become dangerously hot and can cause burns at touch and possible ignition of things such as aging paper shades or fabrics. I expect to see more fires as they have been advertised as more energy efficient and the implication is that they are cooler.

This is like a fundamentalist campaign in which people will be forced to change whether they want to or not. Other methods of saving energy are being neglected like the use DC motors where possible because they are more expensive, less use of lighting, turning off lights, etc. LEDs will not be a similar replacement for years.

My christmas lights fail within one or two years as bulbs pull off of cords exposing bare wires or fail entirely. The embodied energy and metals are far greater in production energy than the saving and they cannot be recycled due to the heavy use of plastics.

Why are not CRT tubes banned from TVs, computer monitors and the likes. Why are stores allowed to keep signs on all night. Why do so many office buildings keep most of their lights on at night. Why do we install so many street lights after building so many roads which pedestrians don’t use at night while cars have their own lights.

I could continue to ask questions about why individual consumers are being forced to foot the bill for the wastefulness of municipalities, businesses and corporations and to be the guinea pigs for these CFLs. What if they turn out to be the 2-4-D of the energy world? What then?