Incandescent Light Bulbs are evil

[crystal sage]

Symptoms of Dizziness Under Flourescent Lights

fluorescent lights cause cancer directly from radiation in the form of very-low-frequency (VLF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). Put an AM radio next to a fluorescent light and turn the light on and off. It's enough radiation to interfere with 50,000 Watt radio stations! Energy-saving bulbs radiate this because they force electricity to float through the gas in the tube, instead of conduct it directly in a wire.

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However it appears that Fluorescent lights are great for spinach and your greens.

Light Cannot Destroy the Super Powers of Spinach

The spinach kept under the lights even for just three days had significantly higher levels of vitamins C, K, E, and folate. They were also more colorful, reflecting high amounts of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. The leaves stored in the dark actually lost nutrients.

Lester said that he shouldn’t have found the results surprising. The leaves of plants use light from the sun as energy to make fuel. The green pigment chlorophyll is the primary pigment involved. Even when picked, the leafy greens will continue to photosynthesize “as long as there is moisture in the leaves and as long as there is gas exchange and light.”

My link

[sepulchrave]

Fluorescent lights that illuminate supermarket dairy cases can oxidize milk... [snip]

...The scary thing is the hospitals are full of Fluorescent lights.. especially the section with the new borns..

It's not the lights, it's your posts that are making my head hurt. Do you even know what ``oxidize'' means?

Fluorescent lights produce more UV than regular incandescents. UV has enough energy to alter chemical bonds, which means it can muck with food that is full of preservatives. On the other hand, it can also do good things - like help humans (including babies!) make vitamin D (or other vitamins in leafy greens, I suppose).

Look: it's perfectly fine to not like fluorescent lights. Maybe the colour, maybe the flicker, maybe the noise, maybe the lack of heat... maybe just because the EPA is telling you they are good, and you don't like the EPA.

But please don't cobble together a bunch of disparate links and claim a consistent narrative from them.

[Guest]

The process of manufacture and recycling will not release mercury if carried out proffessionally. The risks are well enough known for that to be very easily achieved.

If a reputable piece of research on detrimental health effects could be brought forward then I would be more receptive than listening to hearsay accounts.

I repeat for those who are living in fear - due to you close proximity to things like computers, your exposure to EMF from using a computer for half an hour is far greater then a day of exposure to CFL's. This is due to the inverse square law of electromagnetic power. If you are really serious about your concerns please stop using your computer as it presents a far greater risk to yourself than exposure to CFL's.

Yea, I'm not a big fan of margerine, non dairy creamers or nutrasweet either, they are all poisons that the green folk promote, why? It's either be thin or die getting there...

There is well respected research which supports your position on this. I avoid margarine like the plague and never use artificial sweetners, I even have my own rain water supply to avoid the fluoride in the water. I am not unconcerned by environmental health effects and have an education which allows me to make informed judgements about the degrees of risk. CFL's present almost zero risk to myself and I have done the research before replacing all the incandescent bulbs in my home. I have used CFL's now for about 20 years - and in that time I have had about 3 replacement cycles and estimate that I have saved well over a €1000 in electricity and associated carbon emissions.

It seems that irrationality is winning.

Br Cornelius

Edited November 29, 2010 by Guest

[Answer42]

It seems everyone has a justifiable reason to keep their preferred lights. Maybe stricter guidelines for efficient use is in order to help those that can have their minds changed. Dictators tell you what to do. And please do not pull out the science hammer again and quote as though you are preaching a sermon to save someone from themselves. We already have regulations about laser lights because of the dangers that significant enough to cause permanent harm. Since all these common lights tend to put out minimal amounts of negative effects let the public decide. The information exists to help people make the decision that is right for them. I will keep my incandescent bulbs and use them more in the cooler months and use LEDs if they are cheap enough and never for real work lighting at my home. I am not afraid of CFL mercury that is a least of my worries. As for those tube fluorescent bulbs they are being phased out at my home. The ballasts for these have a high potential to set my home on fire. I do have some EL wire but not enough light and way expensive. Thanks for all the response to this post.

[Mac E]

This thread isn't that old, so I'll add to it. Hereis a new article that came out on the switch. I had no idea this was even progressing.

I am split between CFLs and incandescent. I like the incandescent bulbs because you can dim them and the CFL ones that dim are expensive. I like the CFLs because they save on my electric bill. When I first started using them 6 years ago it made a difference. Of course you have the risk of mercury in them and can not throw them in the trash which make disposal hard in some cases. But I have a disposal site not too far from my house and I've been trained on how to handle mercury and have spilled my fair share (in a controlled environment - long story). Maybe I'll stock up on a few of the incandescent ones before they stop selling them.

[regeneratia]

Boy, I have to agree with that one, that incandescent bulbs are evil. I am working hard to avoid them.