| Energy-Efficient Lightbulbs Poison Hundreds of Chinese Workers | |
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Without a doubt, fluorescent lightbulbs have the potential to significantly reduce worldwide carbon emissions if they continue to be put into wide use. In England, for instance, the atmosphere will be saved an estimated 5m tons of carbon dioxide a year due to the bulbs alone. When it comes to the bigger issues, such as combating global climate change and reducing energy consumption, energy-efficient fluorescents are clearly the green alternative to traditional incandescents. And of course, consumers save more on their electricity bill too, a crucial advantage in this global recession as annual energy costs go up over the hot summer months. In fact, as air conditioners continuously whir throughout the summer and the energy grid strains to meet the demand in the U.S., it’s difficult to imagine how it could be done without more efficient bulbs and appliances. But while the environmental and economic advantages of using fluorescent bulbs are paramount, there are also some costs. Fluorescent bulbs work by using electricity to excite mercury vapor, and mercury can be a dangerous, toxic pollutant, perhaps most readily vilified due to its prevalence in the ocean food chain. Thus, proper disposal and care of fluorescent lightbulbs need to come hand in hand with their wide use, otherwise they bring the risk of increased mercury contamination in the environment. The problem is confounded in the manufacturing process if that mercury is not safely contained and controlled. And that’s precisely the concern in China, where most of the world’s fluorescent lightbulbs are produced, and where factory conditions are poorly regulated and environmentally porous. In fact, in many cases the factory conditions are downright deplorable, and aside from the long term environmental damage that comes from mercury contamination, hundreds of Chinese workers are exposed to mercury poisoning on a daily basis. These problems have recently escalated due to a rapid increase in foreign demand, particularly because of the European Union’s directive making fluorescent bulbs compulsory by 2012. The standards for health and safety in the Chinese factories can vary from high tech operations to sweatshops. Some tests have demonstrated concentrations of mercury in factory workers that were 150 times the accepted standard, and many are frequently hospitalized. In one Chinese factory, 121 out of 123 employees had excessive mercury levels. While fluorescent light bulbs are a near necessity moving into the future in combating climate change and saving on energy consumption, conscious consumers need to be more aware of where and how their bulbs are produced. Furthermore, people need to be better educated about proper handling and disposal of fluorescent bulbs. Ironically, in China people have actually been aware of mercury’s toxic properties for over 2,000 years. Legend has it that China’s first emperor, Qin, died after swallowing a pill laced with jade and mercury thinking it would bring him eternal life. But there’s no imaginable reason, in our modern world, as to why Chinese workers should take on that symbolic burden for the sake of the West in the global battle against climate change. Source: Go Media - Image Credit: Paul Keller on Flickr
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 written by marielle jansen , May 06, 2009
Finally, some awareness is being raised about the toxicity of the so-called energy-efficient light bulb. If all of the energy involved in dealing with this toxicity were to be measured and taken into account, its energy efficiency might no longer outweigh that of the familiar incandescent lightbulb.
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Chinese workers making energy-saving fluorescent lightbulbs for Western consumers have been sickened by the hundreds due to mercury poisoning. 
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There are a many manufacturing processes that involve hazardous substances which are of concern because of the poor control and protection of worker health that exists in certain mass production facilities in the East. This means that we should always try to select porducts that are manufactured by responsible brands that can be held accountable - but this isn't a reason not to switch to CFLs over incandescents.
Here is a fact that you might find interesting to consider. Most of our power in SA comes from burning coal. But coal contains trace levels of mercury which is released into the atmosphere during burning. This means that whilst your electricity meter is ticking over, the energy being consumed comes at an environmental cost – ones is contributing to the release of mercury into the atmosphere. By not changing to CFLs, one is actualy cuasing the release of more mercury into the environment than if one switches to CFLs and saves the electricity (and this is true even if we assume that the mercury in the CFL is not recovered, but is also released into the environment when the lamp comes to the end of its life - something that will not happen if we recycle).