Lately, we have been replacing our burnt out incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. They do save energy and last longer than the bulbs that they are replacing. And, by saving energy, we reduce the amount of green house gases produced by power plants.

However, according to the news, all those compact fluorescents contain a small amount of mercury which isn’t a concern unless the bulb breaks. If the bulb breaks, that mercury is released into the environment where it becomes a health concern.

One woman accidentally broke a fluorescent bulb in her house and it cost her several thousand dollars to have her home decontaminated. And to think that we used to play with that stuff in science class.

So, by eliminating one health concern, we are creating another. Maybe the local library will start a collection box for fluorescent light bulbs just like they do for batteries.