" Even if you have found CFLs over there that satisfy you as to their
suitability for the job, that still doesn't address the many negative
aspects of them over incandescents, which are conveniently ignored
to servethe green lobby's arguments on end-point energy useage.

Such as the fact they use more materials in their manufacture? This has to
be weighed against how long they last and how much energy they (don't) use
over their lifespan.



They have many more manufacturing processes. They use many more processed
materials in their construction. It requires many more factories to make the
materials for the capacitors, resistors, inductors, semiconductors PCBs,
phosphors, and then many factories to make those materials into capacitors,
inductors etc. Then all of those components have to be shipped to whoever
makes the electronic ballast. Then that has to be shipped to the lamp
manufacturer. The glass discharge tube requires a much more complex process
to manufacture it, and coat its inside with toxic chemicals, than is needed
to make the simple glass globe of a conventional incandescent. Then that too
has to be shipped to the lamp manufacturer. When they've finally built the
thing, it has to be put in much more substantial packaging than a standard
light bulb, because the discharge tube is fragile, and its contents
potentially dangerous. Then the whole item, which weighs a lot more than a
conventional light bulb, has to be shipped to wherever it's going to be
sold. All of the many many processes involved, require workers that need to
be got to and from the factories where they work. Then when they're there,
they have to be kept warm or cool, lit, and fed. When the lamp has reached
the end of its life, it has to be taken to a collection facility, because
they are considered to be too dangerous to go into the regular household
trash. Aside from that factor, countries within the EU have a mandate to
recycle any electronic equipment. And so it all starts again, with shipping,
dismantling, recycling and all of the processes and workers which that
involves.

So no, I'm not talking *just* about the additional materials that are in
them.

And as an amusing twist of irony, guess what happened to the one in the
wife's bedside light tonight ? Yep. That's right. It failed. Totally. 10,000
hours ? Ha ! 6 months tops of 20 minutes per night ...

These things are useless ****e. On a stick.

Arfa