Published: March 04, 2008 08:05 pm      

Lighting up the future

CFL bulbs use less energy, last longer

FAIRMONT — Over the past few years, many have racked their brains attempting to come up with a way to reduce greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere and protect the planet’s environment.

Reduced emissions from cars was one idea that is being implemented, and recycling programs have also sprung up all over the country. However, another idea set off a light bulb in many people’s heads.

Power-plant emissions account for a significant amount of pollution in the atmosphere, said Hewan Tomlinson with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, many claim that the plants are a necessity because of the growing demand for electricity in the country. One solution is better light bulb efficiency.

Compact fluorescent lamp bulbs, commonly referred to as CFLs, are rapidly replacing incandescent bulbs in the country, Tomlinson said. The CFLs use much less energy than traditional bulbs and last much longer, she said.

The CFLs use between one fifth and one quarter of the energy used by a traditional bulb, Tomlinson said. She added that CFLs also have a life span of between 6,000 and 15,000 hours. Incandescent light bulbs have a life span of 750 to 1,000 hours, she said.

The EPA has established the Energy Star Program in order to gauge the effectiveness of CFL bulbs and to promote usage of the items. Employees with the program rate the bulbs and assign an Energy Star logo to those that meet certain standards, Tomlinson said.

“If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year,” she said.

Tomlinson also noted that by changing just one bulb with an Energy Star CFL would prevent the discharge of greenhouse gases equivalent to more than 800,000 cars. She added that the savings by operating an Energy Star certified CFL would equate to about $30 over each bulb’s lifetime.

However, it is not all a bed of roses when it comes to CFLs. The CFLs cost more than traditional bulbs. However, Tomlinson added that the increased cost of the bulb is offset by the savings on an electricity bill.

The energy efficient bulbs also contain a small amount of the toxic element mercury. Tomlinson said that EPA officials encourage anyone who uses CFL lights to recycle the bulbs instead of throwing them away.

“This prevents the release of mercury into the environment,” she said.

Tomlinson went on to stress that the bulbs are safe to use in the home. She also pointed out that the CFL bulbs contain 5 milligrams of mercury where as an old thermometer contains as much as 500 milligrams of the element.

“People just need to be careful when they clean up a CFL bulb that’s been broken,” she said.

Suggestions for clean up of CFL bulbs can be found on the EPA Web site and include steps such as ventilating the room where the bulb broke and shutting off any central or forced-air heating and cooling system while cleaning the debris. Another step is to never use a vacuum to clean any mercury-tainted debris. That is because the vacuum will put the mercury into the air and increase exposure.

The Marion County Solid Waste Authority does not as yet handle recycling CFL bulbs, according to Cathie Oliveto, recycling coordinator for the agency. She pointed to the fact that the CFL bulbs are a relatively new technology as to why the agency does not yet recycle the items.

However, Oliveto added that she and others with the SWA are working on a procedure for recycling the bulbs. The group will also soon distribute an informational pamphlet informing the public about how to dispose of the bulbs, she said.

“The pamphlet should be out by the middle of March,” Oliveto said.

E-mail Paul Fallon at pfallon@timeswv.com.