mercury spill at a home near downtown Boise

[winners58]

mercury spill at a home near downtown Boise
Mercury spill clean up: 'It could take weeks' News - KBOI 2
and talking with miners;
Mercury spill raises questions over use in Idaho - www.kivitv.com

 

[CO2]

How much mercury is in one of those CFL bulbs anyway? About 5 milligrams each?

 

[boogeyman]

Yeah, why spill the mercury? It has value and when spilled everyone goes crazy. Since the house is being foreclosed, it would be a way to get back at the agency doing the foreclosure...except it could come back to bite him. His credit is blown already, his good name could be gone also if someone (like the foreclosing agency) does some investigating and can show it was intentional. Not only his good name, but his freedom. I suspect (though I know nothing about real property laws) intentionally devaluing a property is breaking some laws.

With that being said, I have to ask..... Does anyone think things through or the consequences when they're POed and about to lose everything? Or feeling they have nothing left to lose, they are really worried about going to jail where they have a bed and three meals a day?

 

[KevinInColorado]

How much mercury is in one of those CFL bulbs anyway? About 5 milligrams each?

Amounts range from 1-4 mg per bulb but much of it gets bound to the inner coating of the bulb as its used so it isn't released into the air if the bulb is broken.

The largest human source of mercury in the environment is from burning coal (which contains trace mercury). The US releases just over 50 tons of mercury into the air from coal burning annually.

CFLs use 1/4 the electricity of incandescent bulbs so there is much less coal burning mercury released. This more than makes up for the Mercury in the bulb. Net releases are estimated at 1.6mg for a CFL ( both bulb and coal releases) vs. 5.3mg for the equivalent incandescent bulb usage.

...maybe more than you wanted to know!

 

[goldenIrishman]

Hummmm... Sounds like I should run the bulbs through a retort once I have enough of them saved up. Could help keep my Hg costs for processing down and the Hg out of he local landfill.

 

[fowledup]

Amounts range from 1-4 mg per bulb but much of it gets bound to the inner coating of the bulb as its used so it isn't released into the air if the bulb is broken.

The largest human source of mercury in the environment is from burning coal (which contains trace mercury). The US releases just over 50 tons of mercury into the air from coal burning annually.

CFLs use 1/4 the electricity of incandescent bulbs so there is much less coal burning mercury released. This more than makes up for the Mercury in the bulb. Net releases are estimated at 1.6mg for a CFL ( both bulb and coal releases) vs. 5.3mg for the equivalent incandescent bulb usage.

...maybe more than you wanted to know!

What you say is spot on but the problem I've always had with the whole CFL thing is that the offset gained from incandescent to CFL's is typically not enough to lessen production or generation of power at any given time. We are still generating the same amount or more to meet the demands of industry and mass production facilities as well as residential and commercial heating and cooling load demands. Meaning has anything changed in the big picture. I know every little bit helps but is it helping? Are the savings worth the increase of hazardous materials we are introducing into our homes and buisnesses?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Good question. I dunno. But I am paying less for electricity so at least I win.

 

[goldenIrishman]

IMHO the high intensity L.E.D. lights can save you even more plus they don't have the mercury in them like the CFL bulbs do. I had a contractor buddy in California that had converted his entire house to 12 volts for lighting, installed solar panels and ended up getting checks from the power company every month because he put out more juice than he used. About the only things he had on 110 were the TV, Fridge, and microwave. Hot water was solar as well. There are a lot of ways to save $$$ if you think outside of the box.

 

[KevinInColorado]

IMHO the high intensity L.E.D. lights can save you even more plus they don't have the mercury in them like the CFL bulbs do. I had a contractor buddy in California that had converted his entire house to 12 volts for lighting, installed solar panels and ended up getting checks from the power company every month because he put out more juice than he used. About the only things he had on 110 were the TV, Fridge, and microwave. Hot water was solar as well. There are a lot of ways to save $$$ if you think outside of the box.

Yes yes yes!