[Rhodes22-list] Environment

Fri Feb 23 17:30:48 EST 2007

I used to collect CFs and the few standard tubes I use, to turn in for
recycling at the annual household hazardous waste day in town.  Up here (MA)
most towns have an annual day and most counties have a (more distant)
regional collection center that is open more often.  

Now I take them (as well as dry-cell batteries - most of which also contain
some mercury) to work.  We have a recycling program and they get to take
credit for pounds recycled, so they don't mind a few extra.  Most large
companies up here do something similar.

Jim Connolly

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Rob Lowe
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 12:21 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Environment

CFL have gotten better over the years, both in terms of the color of the
light and reducing the start up delay.  The ones I just bought have a much
better color spectrum and come right on.  Yes, they contain a minute amount
of mercury, but compared to the millions of discarded fluorescent tubes from
businesses and offices (many of which are not recycled), it pretty small.
And there is no reason you can't recycle CFLs, we recycle something like
40,000 fluorescent tubes a year right now, usually two tractor trailers
loads a year.  The material handling part of recycling CFLs needs to be
worked out, but the technology is already there.  Currently, tubes are
crushed (in a vacuum chamber), the glass and metal are separated and
recycled, and the powered is retorted (baked at high temperatures) to remove
and recover the mercury.  The inert remaining powder can then be used as an
additive in cement.  At least that what happens to ours. - rob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hank" <hnw555 at gmail.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 11:46 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Environment -- dimming bulbs

> They do make florescent spots, which we tried in some of the recessed
lights
> that are not dimmed, but they gave off weak lighting and took a couple of
> minutes to warm up and give off a little brighter light.  We never did
like
> the hue it gave off, though, so we took it out and put the incandescent
back
> in.
>
> Hank
>
>
> On 2/23/07, Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hank, you have put your finger on a huge potential market.
> >
> > Theoretically, with chopper circuits and pulsed output,
> > you could make a florescent bulb that would be dimmable.
> >
> > Since many dimmers use SCRs (silicon controled rectifiers)
> > which do not put out the same form of alternating current
> > that the existing coil bulbs expect, the design would
> > take some work.
> >
> > It may be a while before dimmable coil bulbs come to market,
> > but when they do...
> >
> > /Robert
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > Hank wrote:
> > >
> > > One of the problems with these is they don't work with dimmers.  All
of
> > my
> > > recessed lights are on dimmers that I use all of the time, so it is
not
> > > practical to switch.  For regular lamps we have switched.
> > >
> > > Hank
> > >
> > > On 2/22/07, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Ok folks, here is a quick and 'clean' thought.  I'm not preaching,
but
> > we
> > > > have been switching to these bulbs as the old ones burn out.  They
> > aren't
> > > > cheap, and I don't know where the break-even point is, but you feel
> > better
> > > > and it gives you a certain environ-snobbery arguing position.  You
can
> > buy
> > > > them at SamsClub, WalMart, and other eco-friendly stores.
> > > >
> > > > Brad
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------
> > > >
> > > >    Back to Story<
> > > >
> >
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070220/ap_on_sc/ban_the_bulb_8;_ylt=AqA0NiAnFgJ
315H_dAZJJLlxieAA
> > > > >-
> > > > Help<
> > > >
> >
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AmAEg00nzg5WmJGCFhRVhQFxieAA/SIG=10rbjkhqd/**ht
tp%3A//help.yahoo.com/
> > > > >
> > > > [image: Yahoo! News]<
> > > > http://news.yahoo.com/;_ylt=AltToAxFx686SzI720Fzl69xieAA>
> > > > Australia to ban old-style light bulbs
> > > >
> > > > By ROHAN SULLIVAN, Associated Press WriterTue Feb 20, 6:26 PM ET
> > > >
> > > > The Australian government on Tuesday announced plans to phase out
> > > > incandescent light bulbs and replace them with more energy-efficient
> > > > compact
> > > > fluorescent bulbs across the country.
> > > >
> > > > Legislation to gradually restrict the sale of the old-style bulbs
> > could
> > > > reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tons by
2012
> > and
> > > > cut household power bills by up to 66 percent, said Environment
> > Minister
> > > > Malcolm Turnbull.
> > > >
> > > > Australia produced almost 565 million tons of greenhouse gases in
> > 2004,
> > > > official figures show.
> > > >
> > > > Prime Minister John Howard said the plan would help all Australians
> > play a
> > > > part in cutting harmful gas emissions: "Here's something practical
> > that
> > > > everybody will participate in."
> > > >
> > > > In incandescent light bulbs, perfected for mass use by Thomas A.
> > Edison in
> > > > the late 19th century, electricity flows through a filament to
create
> > > > light.
> > > > Much of the energy, however, is wasted in the form of heat.
> > > >
> > > > Australia is not the only place looking to replace them with
> > fluorescent
> > > > lighting, which is more efficient and longer lasting.
> > > >
> > > > Last month, a California assemblyman announced he would propose a
bill
> > to
> > > > ban the use of incandescent bulbs in his state. And a New Jersey
> > lawmaker
> > > > has called for the state to switch to fluorescent lighting in
> > government
> > > > buildings within three years.
> > > >
> > > > Cuba's Fidel Castro launched a similar program two years ago,
sending
> > > > youth
> > > > brigades into homes and switching out regular bulbs for
energy-saving
> > ones
> > > > to help battle electrical blackouts around the island.
> > > >
> > > > The idea was later embraced by Castro's friend and ally, Venezuelan
> > > > President Hugo Chavez, who announced his own program to save energy
> > and in
> > > > recent months has given away millions of fluorescent bulbs in
> > > > neighborhoods
> > > > nationwide.
> > > >
> > > > Under the Australian plan, bulbs that do not comply with energy
> > efficiency
> > > > targets would be gradually banned from sale. Exemptions may apply
for
> > > > special needs such as medical lighting and oven lights.
> > > >
> > > > Fluorescent bulbs are currently more expensive than incandescent
> > bulbs,
> > > > but
> > > > use only about 20 percent of the power to produce the same amount of
> > light
> > > > and last longer, making them more competitive over time, advocates
> > argue.
> > > >
> > > > Environmentalists welcomed the light bulb plan, but noted than the
> > vast
> > > > bulk
> > > > of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions come from industry, such as
> > > > coal-fired power stations.
> > > >
> > > > They urged the government to set national targets for emission
> > reductions
> > > > and renewable energy.
> > > >
> > > > "It is a good, positive step. But it is a very small step. It needs
to
> > be
> > > > followed through with a lot of different measures," Australian
> > > > Conservation
> > > > Foundation spokesman Josh Meadows told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
> > > > radio.
> > > >
> > > > Howard has become a global warming convert, conceding in recent
months
> > for
> > > > the first time that human activity is having an effect on rising
> > > > temperatures.
> > > >
> > > > But he has steadfastly refused to bring Australia into line with
most
> > of
> > > > the
> > > > world and ratify the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas reductions,
> > arguing
> > > > that doing so could damage Australia's coal-dependent economy.
> > > >
> > > > Copyright (c) 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The
> > > > information contained in the AP News report may not be published,
> > > > broadcast,
> > > > rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of
The
> > > > Associated Press.
> > > > Copyright (c) 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
> > > > Questions or Comments<
> > > >
> >
http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12f1p5o19/M=224039.1983420.3465435.1919853/D=new
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> > > > Privacy Policy<
> > > >
> >
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> > > > of Service<
> > > >
> >
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> >
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> >
> > --
> > Robert Skinner               "Squirrel Haven"
> > 9 Gateway Commons, Gorham, Maine   04038-1331
> > Home/Messages 207-839-8777, Cell 207-653-1752
> > __________________________________________________
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> >
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