[ProudFossil]

This bit about the danger of the mercury in the bulb is ABSOLUTELY STUPID. I ask you, “How many light bulbs have you broken in your life time”? This is the same type of stupidity as having rats consume a ton of something and then saying the product causes cancer, even though the rats died because of obesity.

The other arguments are valid. We have changed half of the bulbs in our house, especially in those areas where we do not need the intense light such as in hallways, outside, etc. They do take a long period to get to full power and they do have the flickering common to the type of illumination. But these are areas we do not frequent. So it is all right.

But having to put drop clothes under a light socket to change the bulb? This is only a sympton of the problems we are facing in our society. Next we will have to have a HAZMAT team next to us while putting gasoline into our car (if we can afford it). Or having an expert on nutrition checking we are grilling our ribs properly to prevent some massive invasion of bacteria into our bodies.

Come on people. Get real and start telling these SOCIALIST beauracrats(sp?) to get lost. Let them go someplace where they can legislate themselves into the never-never land of OZ.

[marychesnutfan]

I decided to use them in the summer and during any hot weather times because by saving 75% on the electric bill I can run my air conditioner more!!! They are also, frankly, cooler than incandescents.

BUT, I keep the incandescents for fall and winter and thru spring if cold enough because they put out WARM light and WARMTH! That helps the heating bill.

I don’t give a hoot about the “environment” I just care about the electric bill and my comfort.

[Grizzled Bear]

But having to put drop clothes under a light socket to change the bulb? This is only a sympton of the problems we are facing in our society. Next we will have to have a HAZMAT team next to us while putting gasoline into our car (if we can afford it).

I wear a condom while changing the light bulb.

No reason...

[chris_bdba]

I’ve had a lot of broken bulbs over the years. There is a hazard to large dogs and their tails, they can knock the lamps off the table when excited.

[hinckley buzzard]

This is the same type of stupidity as having rats consume a ton of something and then saying the product causes cancer

Exactly. Dosage makes the poison. And once the bulb goes into a landfill, the dosage of mercury vapor is zero.

[EEDUDE]

“This bit about the danger of the mercury in the bulb is ABSOLUTELY STUPID.”

People that are worried about this seem to have forgotten, or never knew, that standard fluorescent tubes we’ve been using for years have far more mercury in them than the newer CFL’s.

[TNdandelion]

I’ve not broken that many lightbulbs in my life, but once they have expired or burned out, they have to go somewhere. Mercury in the landfill? Water? Don’t we need special recycling for these buggers?

[dalereed]

“How many light bulbs have you broken in your life time”?

Thousands, I smash them in the dumpsters.

[Cobra64]

Let them go someplace where they can legislate themselves into the never-never land of OZ.

[weegee]

Next we will have to have a HAZMAT team next to us while putting gasoline into our car (if we can afford it).

We already have "gas fume" pumps that try to control gas emissions while you fill up at the pump.

And sometimes the plastic is cracked, or the sensor doesn't work well, and I am lucky to get .10 gallons at a time until I have to release the trigger, reposition the nozzle, and clip again. Repeat until I get maybe 1.20 gallons and leave in frustration.

Only happens at about 10% of the gas stations I've been to but it is a consistent problem at some locations I've seen.