Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Unscrewed: A Triple Threat to Your Health and Environment (Part 1)
If there’s one thing that gets under my skin, it’s the one sided truth about compact fluorescent light bulbs.
And if you’re fed up with skyrocketing energy bills or the damage inflicted on our environment, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of hype for these light bulbs.
These “energy efficient light bulbs” are supposed to drastically reduce your power bills and green house gas emissions that are linked with “global warming”.
Don’t get me wrong. I do like lower power bills and a sustainable planet for my children and future generations.
But the simple fact is…
There’s a dark shadow cast by compact fluorescent light bulbs on your health and the environment that you should know about!
Before I tell you all about it let’s quickly go over the benefits of CFLs that we’ve been force fed by the media, industry, and governments.
By now you and I have been led to believe compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs are great! After all, they use 75% less electricity. They’re four times more efficient than incandescent light bulbs, meaning a 13 Watt CFL would give off as much light as a 60 Watt incandescent. Prices have dropped so much over the last few years that CFL bulbs are a bargain compared to the cost of incandescent bulbs. Heck they even last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs.
This is great for the environment because it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants created by fossil-fuel power plants. As an added bonus you save money by having to purchase less CFL bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs. Plus, your electric bill is reduced too!
Governments are mandating CFL use and banning incandescent light bulbs. Media, industry, and governments have “screwed” the benefits of CFL bulbs into the deepest sockets of our mind.
In a nutshell, we have been led to believe CFL bulbs are good for the environment, the energy crisis, our bank account, and global warming, right?
I thought so until I heard this…
Investigation Announced into Potential Dangers of Compact Florescent Lights
Always believing CFLs were a good thing, I was surprised to hear my local radio station, AM800 CKLW in Windsor Ontario, announce Health Canada was measuring exposure levels of CFL bulb’s potentially harmful electromagnetic-field and ultraviolet radiation levels.
I decided to investigate energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs to uncover the truth.
My Research Into Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Was Shocking
In the end I discovered there’s a dark side to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
You will soon see three areas of concern to your health and the environment. The question is have they been downplayed. They include toxic mercury, ultraviolet radiation, and electromagnetic fields. These are what I call “CFLs Triple Threat”.
As you continue reading, I’ll explain what I found about each threat in more detail. But before doing so you should know…
Lots of people are reporting serious health problems they are convinced come from compact fluorescent light bulbs
Some symptoms they complain about include…
Mild to severe Headaches (Migraines)
Skin Irritation, redness, burning sensations, and or itchiness
Dizziness and Nausea
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and Earaches
Numbness and Tingling sensations
Tired, Weak and Fatigued
Difficulty Sleeping / Restlessness
Chest Pains / Heart Problems
Poor Memory and Concentration
Irritability
Feelings of Stress and Anxiety
Depression and Mood Swings
Difficulty breathing
Muscle and joint pain
Pain and pressure in the eyes
The big question: Are Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs really responsible for causing these health problems?
I suspect the CFL Triple Threats are a major part of what’s behind it all. So in the next several blog posts I’ll examine the details of toxic mercury, U.V. radiation, and electromagnetic fields and how this ties into energy efficient light bulbs, the environment and the potential danger to your health.
In the mean time here’s proof that compact fluorescent light bulbs can be dangerous to your health. Go ahead and watch this video and you’ll be shocked!
Thanks for reading Part 1 in this series of posts. Part 2 will get into more of the hushed up truth about the dangers of energy efficient light bulbs.
Please leave your thought and comments below. Thanks so much!
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Tags: banning incandescent light bulbs, cfl bulbs, compact fluorescent light, compact fluorescent light bulbs, danger to health, electromagnetic radiation, EM radiation, energy efficient light bulbs, energy savings bulbs, Global Warming, green house gas emissions, greenhouse gas, Health, illness, incandescent light bulbs, Light Bulbs, mecury, power bills, sustainable planet, uv, uv radiation
June 29th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Unreal! I just can’t believe that we have never heard of the dangers before now! Here we are thinking we are doing something good, using CFL’s, Reducing water flow on faucets, cleaning with baking soda, takinf our Vidazorb…when look at this! You go along thinking you are providing your family with a healthy environment, and to realize that something like this could cause this much harm? What to do with this one? Caroline
June 29th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Very good post. I have already gone back to the old incandescents. Largly because I had a feeling in my gut that there is something just wrong about them. I also do not like the kind of light they emit. Too cold. The big reason though is that only a year after installing them they all started to fail. That cost seemed to negate the utilty cost side.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Thanks for posting this, the problems with CFL’s are too often relegated to some kind of “conspiracy from paranoid crackpots” when there are in fact legitimate concerns.
People seemed to have jumped on the CFL bandwagon very quickly as did the government (the Ontario government that is) without fully studying potential risks. The mercury alone should have raised a red flag! It’s nice to look for energy efficiency but not when it comes at a cost to our health. Hopefully the LED’s that are on the horizon won’t have this problem
June 30th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
VERY interesting!
I knew about Mercury before, & was really concerned about it, also heard about radiation/electromagnetic fields, though I didn’t know much about this.. Great to read & hear more about it & will be looking forward to your next post!
Fact is, I *really* HATE CFLs!!
lolz, I also ate too many sweets & meats & such this weekend, it might be an additional factor though, hmm..? (we’re prone to rheumatism & live near a chemical factory:)
I wanted to like them, as they’re ‘green’ & save energy, but my eyes just hurt when I’m around them.. & I feel really odd & I very much limit my exposure to them (we only have ‘em in a few rooms).
Interestingly, my left hand hurts today after being exposed to a CFL a bit longer..
I don’t think it’s CFLs alone causing these problems, it’s probably a combination of factors. Like, food & environmental toxics/indoor pollution & everything..
Lupus & arthritis/rheumatism & migraines are food-related too, & the other lady who was doing crafts - well, some glues or such have really iffy chemicals in them too.. & she had like 3 CFLs in a small probably unventilated basement..?
1 in 5 were problematic, as the scientist said? would be really great to read which ones & which ones to stay away from then!!
I do wonder about the LEDs too, & how safe the chemicals used in them are.. (?) And that other new still-being-developed variant, that sounded really spooky? (something very iffy about electromagnetic or such too?)
Also, CFLs are problematic to use for short time only, so either LEDs or something new will be needed for eg halls or similar places with only short term lights needed.
Otherwise, I’ll have to use candles when the ‘old bulbs’ are banned (we’re on a phaseout too!) & this isn’t funny!!
July 1st, 2009 at 10:11 am
If your really looking to save energy in any kind of place, led lighting would be the way to go. I would not worry to much about leds, these technology’s have been greatly improved.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Thanks so much everyone for commenting. Before I say too much here I’ll post my next few parts of this series. We’ll be covering much of what has been brought up so far.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Bit of an alarmist article without MUCH proof. There are millions of people using CFLs without any ill effects. Which means a heck of a lot of energy saved.
Worth investigating further, but look at the balance of cases of ill effects to those unaffected (except of course side-effects of saving the planet!)
July 1st, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I don’t believe the light bulbs create these symptoms. We have seen none of them in our household. There are disposal issues, but that is a matter of proper management.
Certainly when it comes to electromagnetic fields, the TV, computer, ell phones and cordless phones, electronic games, refegerator, clocks, microwave, etc. play the main role; the light bulb at the ceiling plays a pretty minor role, if any.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Forgive my skepticism, but you are attempting to refute common wisdom and supply reality, but you supply no sources to support either argument. Right now, it’s your word against “the media” and, to be frank, this post kinda has that “email spam” look and feel about it (you know, the oddly capitalized words, the interjection of capitalized lines).
Show us some facts, jack.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Thanks for the info! I’ve heard that these are bad too, but didn’t really know why. Do you know anything about LED bulbs? Read that these are the best best best thing to use for light… they’re very expensive, but apparently you’ll never have to replace them (?). And of course, no one carries them around here. Would like your opinion if you have one!
July 1st, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Yeah, we’ve all pretty much jumped on the CFL bit as part of our larger ‘buy ourselves green’ effort.
Of the concerns, mercury remains the most immediate and significant. The content of one bulb can take out a lake from mercury poisoning. Of course, the packages are actually labeled as containing mercury which should set off alarms but, oddly, we seem to think this is some ‘new mercury’ or forgot that the stuff messes with nerves and kills in the end. That or we don’t read much.
As for the EMF threat, it’s possible but unless you’re either turning off *all* electricity in your home, school, work or sporting a faraday fabric overcoat.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
As for the EMF threat, it’s possible but unless you’re either turning off *all* electricity in your home, school, work or sporting a faraday fabric overcoat there’s little point in making a chatter. EMF can’t be escaped in our modern world. Sad but true.
Truth is we’ve been immersing ourselves in EMF for decades & with more and more of our lives mediated through electrical devices we’re making for a nasty thickening stew. We don’t know the effect, and maybe won’t for a generation or two.
My guess is Health Canada will come back and report ‘no significant threat’ which is standard result. Either that or they’ll have to look at cell towers again, and electrical grids, and baby monitors, and fridges, and and and.
The first two, cellular and electrical grid, have enough money on the line to delay, postpone, or otherwise render inconclusive any significant report.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:47 pm
“Lots of people are reporting serious health problems they are convinced come from compact fluorescent light bulbs.”
Lot’s of people also convinced that all world leaders are aliens. Everyone of these symptoms have been reported by people who have never been exposed to CFLs as well.
It’s true that lot’s of hype surrounds the benefits of CFLs. But let’s not immediately switch gears because the hype is now focused on the alleged negative effects.
Don’t take your medical advice from hypochondriacs and leave the science up to scientists not bloggers.
If I told you the best way to heat and light your house was to light a giant fire on the floor on your living room floor you wouldn’t even consider it. That would be crazy! But the key to every good con is to keep it believable and surround it with elements of truth.
Consider the source here. Let’s get some facts based on real tests not hearsay and testimonials before we all hit the panic button.
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:30 am
I appreciate your thoughts and comments.
For now I’m not going to say too much. I have several more posts in this series. They’re already written just need a little editing.
I do have scientific research that’ll be present from reputable University professors.
To give you a taste of what’s to come…
LEDs are a good alternative but a little pricey for most at the moment. Prices are coming down though and so is the quality of light they emit. This will be discussed.
You’ll be surprised at how the EMF ties in. Even the World Health Organization has raised concerns.
The UV radiation doesn’t concern me much but its discussed.
Mercury is well documented when it comes to CFLs. And I’ll show you the details.
After all the facts are presented I’ll leave it to you to judge for yourself if there is a danger here.
My issue is how the negatives of CFLs is downplayed and hard to find. Only once we know the pros and cons can we make an informed decision.
I hope you’ll follow my posts and keep commenting. Your opinions and thoughts make this all worthwhile.
Sincerely,
Eric Bonnici
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:16 am
Will be looking forward to new posts!
I agree with Gary that scientific backup is important..
I’ve read of a German study a while ago in local papers, it was said to be a bit controversial though..
In a healthy household with healthy enviroment good CFLs probably won’t cause anything..
Someone with an already compromised immune system sitting close to a bad CFL (or a few) for hours every day.. (& perhaps to other sources of iffy stuff) who knows?
If anything, it’s important that people with compromised immune systems become aware of this & take necessary precautions..
I too believe saving energy is important..
Kristin, the LEDs have a very long life span - not ‘forever’ though as far as I know.. Also, the quality is important again (different companies & different models can have different time span)..
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Thanks for the alarmist does of hype and pseudoscience. The effects of electromagnetic radiation have been studied for years. I remember people freaking out about power lines and substations back in the 80’s. It has been researched, and while they don’t recommend holding high-energy emitting devices right against your body for extended periods of time, ie: cell phones, normal emf exposure can’t be linked to health problems. You didn’t mention anything about televisions and computer monitors. They operate on the same principles with LCD displays even having fluorescent tubes in them. As for ultra-violet light, unless you spend your days no more than 8″ from them you have nothing to worry about. If you really are worried about EMFs and UV rays ruining your life you better find you a cave somewhere because they are everywhere.
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:42 am
Adam, there are actually people who are allergic to EMF & such.
There was a documentary (british I think) about someone who had to put up a tent in the middle of a field to escape it. So I don’t think this is funny at all.
There are articles online about people with this allergy too, & I don’t think all of them are lying.. Personally, I have difficulty sleeping if any device is turned on in the bedroom (yes, even cell phone makes me sleep worse & feel yuckier in the morning).
We have a cell phone antenna & a chemical factory ‘next door’ so imagine my joy about them too!!
And yes, being in front of the LCD monitor all day makes me dazzled & confused & not able to think clearly and such..
Even talking on the (normal) phone for extended period of time makes me sweat profusely.
Online friends tell me they have problems from wireless internet too (headaches etc), so we stick to cables.
So hmm.. rather then taking this all lightly I AM interested in possible effects of CFL lights too.. Again, I’m all for saving energy etc, for a small percentage of people it’s good to be a bit cautious with this all..
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Thanks for all your comments everyone.
I have just added part 2. Hope to hear you comments on there as well.
Sincerely,
Eric Bonnici
July 19th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I’m from Canada and a news show is doing a story on this. I’m watching it now. It made one woman with Lupus (sensitive to Uv’s and sunlight and exposaure causes a flare) very sick!
Thank you for the information!