My New Blog

There was a short, but very interesting segment on NBC news last night. I've been trying to do my part in reducing my footprint on this earth. I've cut down on the amount of paper I use, I got rid of my pick up truck and bought a more efficient vehicle, I even started to spend more money on light bulbs for the compact florescent bulbs. You know those funny looking things which last much longer and use less energy when compared to the traditional incandescent bulbs. Well it turns out those funny looking bulbs have their own environmental concerns. They contain mercury.  According to the story on nbc's website, the amount of mercury in each bulb is small (approximately 5 milligrams), but it is enough to contaminate up to 6,000 gallons of water.

What does this all mean? Should I stop using them?  Most experts say the benefits far outweigh the negatives, but we need to be careful how we dispose of them. And if you drop one and it breaks, technically you've created a hazardous waste site. So be careful how you clean it up and keep the kids and pets away.

For more information, check out the article on:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23694819/