Questions about compact fluorescent light bulbs:
1. how much mercury is in a CFL bulb vs. how much is safe exposure, vs. how much may be generated by electrical power plants
2. how to dispose of a CFL bulb when it is burnt out or broken?
non-mercury-related, but still important questions:
3. isn’t it wasteful to throw away the transformer along with the CFL bulb?
4. when does the increased cost of a CFL (upfront manufacturing costs) break-even with the energy savings?
5. should CFL vs. incandescent usage/sales be regulated and/or mandated? Or should we simply allow the competition in the free market economy to decide?
More reading: 5 Ways to Stay Safe from Mercury in CFLs at http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/cfl-mercury-safety-460124
Years later, and pretty much nobody cares about CFLs any more, since we all switched to LED years ago. LED bulbs quickly proved better and cheaper, without any regulation or intervention.