April 10, 2009br /br /Although compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) are heralded as “green” because they use less energy, they are also a new source of mercury in the environment. The New York Times reports a Seattle company plans to introduce a fully dimmable, mercury-free, instant-on bulb for recessed ceiling fixtures by the end of this year. The company says it last about 6,000 hours – or six times the lifespan of an incandescent – and have a price tag similar to high-end C.F.L. reflector bulbs: about $18 to $22.br /br /a href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CpmH6pmUk9A/SeiWD65l-rI/AAAAAAAAAC4/nwvK_W2BrGE/s1600-h/lightbulb.gif”img style=”float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 162px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CpmH6pmUk9A/SeiWD65l-rI/AAAAAAAAAC4/nwvK_W2BrGE/s200/lightbulb.gif” border=”0″ alt=”"id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325671553460206258″ //aThe company, Vu1, describes its technology as “electron stimulated luminescence” (ESL) and it shares some of the same basic science on which cathode ray tubes in older televisions are based. Electrons are sprayed uniformly over a broad area inside the bulb, which is coated with a phosphor mixture. This causes the entire surface of the bulb to glow and create light. No filament, plasma, coils or mercury vapor.br /br /The company says it plans to have a demo that will operate in household sockets ready by June, and to begin high-volume mass production by the end of the year.br /br /”I’m very excited to see a technology that has all the promise of CFLs without the mercury,” said Sean Gray, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group, which has been critical of mercury standards for Energy Star CFLs. “It’s an incredible chance to move forward.”br /br /strongDr. Grout’s Comment:/strongbr /br /Good news and a timely reminder that the ingenuity of the private sector can create a cleaner, less toxic environment when the public creates the demand.br /br /Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been trying to get the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency to address the risks of mercury in CFL bulbs. EWG recommends lowering the maximum mercury content in each CFL bulb to 3 miligrams (mg). This measure would save 225 pounds of mercury for every 100 million bulbs. Energy Star labels can be found on the most efficient bulbs available, as well as on some of the worst, misleading the consumer and giving manufacturers zero incentive to make a greener bulb.br /br /If we can reduce the amount of mercury in a href=”http://www.arizonaadvancedmedicine.com/articles/vaccinations.html”vaccines/a, it makes little sense to add to the mercury in our environment with light bulbs.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4769404502414351890-3944629482300485100?l=arizonaadvancedmedicine.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div