Earth day is celebrated around the world on April
22. A day when we are asked to appreciate our environment, become aware of the
issues that threaten it and its survival.
Ways to celebrate and protect our earth are often
planned in cities and small towns around the globe. Some turn off their lights
for an hour in the evening so to conserve energy. Others go around their
neighbourhoods and pick up garbage.
I for one will be doing both of these, but what I have
learned in the past few months about light bulbs has given me pause and
question my decision to help conserve energy.
A few years ago it was advertised that the new
compact fluorescent bulbs were the most energy efficient blubs and would last
10 times longer than the older incandescent bulbs. Compared to incandescent,
the compact fluorescent bulbs stayed cooler and used one- fifth the power than
incandescent bulbs did.
Over the years I have changed most of my light bulbs
to compact fluorescent, despite the higher price point, as I thought I was
saving energy and helping the planet.
What I have since learned is that compact
fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) come with a host of health issues that many consumers
are not aware of.
Firstly, they contain mercury, so if the bulb breaks,
be careful not to inhale the mercury fumes and take care when disposing of the
broken pieces. I was unaware that these bulbs require special disposal and
cannot be thrown out with your regular trash.
Both ultra violet radiation and electromagnetic
radiation comes from these bulbs and many can suffer ill health from their
light bulbs and not even know it.
Common symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches,
migraines, memory loss, heart- rate changes, skin rashes, auto immune
conditions and even cancer can be caused by the type of light bulb you are
using in your home.
Epileptics have reported increased seizures from
radio waves and since all CFL’s produce radio waves it is important for people
to be informed of these issues.
Perhaps the compact fluorescent light bulbs should
come with a warning on their label just as cigarettes do?
So this earth day I will certainly turn off my
lights and read by candle light for an hour or so, but when I turn back on my
lights I will be sure that all my lamps have the old fashioned incandescent
bulbs in them.
Happy Earth Day!
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Shirley Plant is the author of Finally... Food I Can
Eat, a dietary guide and cookbook for people with food allergies. Shirley also
offers dietary consulting and menu planning via Delicious Alternatives
twitter @sherrecipes
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