Compact Flourescent Bulbs are Atrocious! Don't use

[Barbara]

Are Low Energy Bulbs Bad For Your Health?

Source: Bk Creative

Health Concerns of Low Energy Bulbs

Can low energy bulbs be harmful to your health? Yes, according to medical experts in the UK.

While the bulbs are touted as requiring low energy and therefore lower costs to run, the issue of the high intensity of the ultra violet light from these bulbs, has not been addressed here in the US.

People with skin conditions such as lupus, eczema, and psoriasis are affected by these types of bulbs, whereas, the low emissions from the traditional incandescent bulbs have not previously been thought to be a health concern.

According to a photodermatologist in London, the phasing out of traditional light bulbs can cause misery for the thousands of people who have light-sensitive skin disorders. Further, patients in the UK are now being treated for skin rashes caused by exposure to these low energy bulbs.

While we are all aware of the issue of mercury in these flourescent bulbs - and while that in itself should be reason enough for ecological concern - the issue of how it can affect our skin has not been addressed at all.

How about some food for thought? If these low energy bulbs can have an effect on people who already have skin disorders, can we be sure they will NOT affect the skin of babies? Can we be sure that they will NOT, in the future, cause skin disorders and sensitivity problems to people who do not presently have sensitive skin issues?

Further, while it is noble to want to reduce greenhouse emissions - why can it NOT be done in a way that will NOT create other serious problems, i.e. health issues, and the use of mercury in the bulbs?

A quicker approach would be to work with what we have by installing motion detectors so bulbs will not burn all the time - as in hallways. This is commonly done in other countries - you enter the premises, the light goes on; you leave and the light goes out. Also, there is no reason for office buildings to have lights on 24/7. Often in my travels overseas, the skylines would darken at night unlike here in NYC where lights are too often ablaze for no good reason.

New technology must be ecologically responsible in every way. And if it's not, we should not just accept it because it is new and someone has a product to sell.

(update: 1/1/11 - there is a move towards new and improved LED bulbs and away from these low energy bulbs containing mercury -

[Maria]

My eyes are bothered by those low energy light bulbs.
They are very expensive.
Cost wise, I think we are losing out, and we are contaminating the environment.
Furthermore, China, from what I have read, is the sole producer of these low energy light bulbs.
The incandescent bulbs that we used to have were produced in the USA.

[Barbara]

OH !

I hadn't realized that.

The CFL's are SO ugly, I can't stand to even LOOK at them. Like something a demon would dream up.

Now that you said they are Made in China, that explains why there is such a push on the US public
to buy them.

The guy at a home improvement store when I asked more details showed me a rather strange looking bulb.
He said it is the ORIGINAL Edison bulb, brought back.
I guess it's trendy.

It wasn't too beautiful, either, not being symmetrical. But at least it was incandescent !

People NEED them for many reasons : heat, etc.

I bet in the long run there won't be a particle of difference in "savings" or "help to environment".
The CFL's, the Lighting Dept staff said, have to be taken into special places where THEY sent them out
for recycling - it's totally lunatic !

This was all done under Bush "Mr New World Orderite".

I am planning to stock up on the older ones, but they are getting scarcer, I guess.
Have you guys been thinking about this problem ?
I get intermittently worried about it, then forget it for awhile when more pressing things arise.

[Matthew]

Whatever happened to the good ol' days of beeswax candles and oil lamps. Well, at least nobody is likely to awaken amidst the flames of a burning house nowadays as a result of a modern lightbulb.

[Maria]

Whatever happened to the good ol' days of beeswax candles and oil lamps. Well, at least nobody is likely to awaken amidst the flames of a burning house nowadays as a result of a modern lightbulb.

No, but when the space heater or the Christmas tree ornaments catch fire, then we will be too blinded by these diabolic fluorescent bulbs to find our way out of the house.

[Matthew]

Yes, but Christmas Trees are not Orthodox.

[Maria]

My husband was complaining of "tinnitus" a few minutes ago, and so was I. Since I had noticed this same sound when I visited Sears about 10 years ago due to their surveillance equipment, I was suspicious that this sound was coming from new technology. Therefore, we tried to find if it was truly "tinnitus" or if the sound was emanating outside of us. We turned off the radio and the TV, but received no relief. So, my husband disconnected the power source on my computer. We felt a little better, but the extremely high pitched and annoying modulating ringing in our ears continued. When my husband turned off those compact fluorescent bulbs, the noise stopped.

How many people are irritated by those fluorescent bulbs? Is this irritating noise causing anti-social behaviors?