Going Green in the nursery is a trend that has become more and more popular over the last few years. What began as an organic effort to keep baby safe from un-natural substances has now joined full force with the environmental movement. But do the two mix?
I'm going to fill you in on a dirty little secret of mine. It may make many of you upset so please note where to send the hate mail below. I have been and will be, until they're discontinued, on a mission to buy as many incandescent light bulbs as possible. Every time that I'm at a place that sells them, I buy four 6-packs. Did it today. Home Depot. 1:26pm. Location undisclosed. My goal is to stock up so that I don't have to buy the Compact Fluorescent Lights until I'm 82.
It's not that I don't love planet Earth. Quite the opposite. Though I do have long term environmental concerns regarding these expensive, twisty bulbs; that's for another day. The main reason I'm stocking up on the old bulbs is because I'm afraid we'll have to move if I break one of the new ones. I'm a little freaked out by the disposal and clean-up.
When I read through the CFL Fact Sheet (link below), I thought, "Oh, these don't sound so bad." But then I read on and thought...if these aren't dangerous why is the disposal and clean-up so labor intensive and fraught with warning? It reminded me of a trip to Mexico that I took during Hurricane Dolly. The first day, the staff said, "Oh, it's just a little tropical storm. Don't panic." Meanwhile, the entire hotel was being boarded up with large sheets of plywood; we mysteriously stopped getting the daily newspaper and weren't allowed to leave the hotel. Hmm...somehow I don't think I'm getting the full story, here.
One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that exposure to the inside of these bulbs should be taken seriously, especially where pregnant women, babies and children are concerned. The state of Vermont has even recommended removing carpeting when there is a breakage in an area where pregnant women or infants are present.
Those who defend the CFL light bulbs say that in the long run these bulbs decrease the amount of mercury released into our air and water. They also talk about how the mercury in one light bulb is a fraction of that found in a thermometer. That prompted me to count the 15 light bulbs in the room I’m sitting in and wonder, “where the hell is my thermometer?”
CFL Fact Sheet
EPA's Page on Mercury Release and Spills
Below are several good articles to help you in your research:
Shining a Light on the Hazards of Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Rarely, CFL's can cause Adverse Health Effects
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp
CFL Light Bulbs: Hype & Hazard?
CFL's and Mercury Exposure: What you need to know
I love the quote from the article below: "...CFL's can and should still be used in everyone's home until a non-toxic light bulb becomes available." Um. What?
Consumers Advised on Mercury Risk
The purpose of this post is to open a dialogue. We will continue to research this topic and post our findings. If you have facts that you would like to share in order to help others come to an educated decision, please be sure to chime in!