Joseph have very insightful comments on the subject. One correction, though. Its correct that all CFLs are produced in China, but the patents of the technology is owned by western companies. Its just that they choose to produce them where its cheapest, and closest to the raw materials. For LFLs, they are assembled in the US.<br>
Let me provide some additional information about CFLs and LFLs.<br>
There are three important environmental issues with CFL/LFL, and one photographic issue.<br>
1. The photographic first - as stated by Joseph and others, the CFLs and LFLs does not show the full spectrum of colors. This creates dull, uncorrectable colors in indoor photography. WB corrections cannot fix it; only a really good CRI (as Joseph says) can remedy the situation.<br>
2. As others have stated, CFLs and LFLs contains mercury. Mercury is extremely bad for the environment and our bodies, and can cause a number of issues. The governments of all the countries that has banned the old bulbs, has made no effort in really informing the population about the health risk of the CFL, probably to not stir unneccessary resistance against CFLs. As a result most of the CFLs ends in the every day garbage, and ends in landfills, scattered, poisioning the environment. Some ends in the earth, water and air. Mercury are released from air with rain, and polutes rivers and lakes. Mercury is found in fish all over the world, due to excessive use. It is commonly used in gold mining, for the final separation stage. We do not need more mercury into our environment. Various legislations has been put in place, to place the financial burden of recycling on the producers/importers, but that helps nothing if ordinary people do not know (or ignore) to turn the CFLs and the LFLs for proper treatment.<br>
3. UV light is supposed to be blocked from being emitted, but surveys have shown that almost all examined lamps had imperfections, so UV light was not blocked totally.<br>
4. Rare Earth Elements (REE) is an essential component of CFLs and LFLs (and LEDs). <br>
Its the mixture of some 6 of these REE that decides the quality of light. The REE sounds rare, and several are rare and expensive. Yttrium is a key component in the mixture (62%, by some research). The supply of Yttrium is considered to be critical before 2016, together with terbium and europium, also used in the mix. China currently produce more than 90% of all REE. (But have only 38%) of the total reserve. They also place restrictions on export. So they are rare. Only recently has there been built commercial processing of the lamp powder remaining when mercury is removed. I am only aware of Solvay in France, who recently invested 15 mill Euros in two factories for this.<br>
REE mining is very energy intensive, and may pollutes air, land, surface water and ground water. <br>
One environmental aspect of REE mining is a large number of illegal artisenal mines in China, with an estimated production of an additional 20.000 ton over the appr. 140.000 tons currently produced.<br>
So, with limited facilities for recycling, most of the CFLs ending in landfills, or burned, together with an energy intensive, environmentally bad mining process, CFL may not be the green alternative the governments in the west hoped for….<br>
But, maybe the bad results people will get at home will boost the photography business again?<br>
Best replacement for 60 W incandescent bulbs?
in Casual Photo Conversations
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<p>Hello<br>
Joseph have very insightful comments on the subject. One correction, though. Its correct that all CFLs are produced in China, but the patents of the technology is owned by western companies. Its just that they choose to produce them where its cheapest, and closest to the raw materials. For LFLs, they are assembled in the US.<br>
Let me provide some additional information about CFLs and LFLs.<br>
There are three important environmental issues with CFL/LFL, and one photographic issue.<br>
1. The photographic first - as stated by Joseph and others, the CFLs and LFLs does not show the full spectrum of colors. This creates dull, uncorrectable colors in indoor photography. WB corrections cannot fix it; only a really good CRI (as Joseph says) can remedy the situation.<br>
2. As others have stated, CFLs and LFLs contains mercury. Mercury is extremely bad for the environment and our bodies, and can cause a number of issues. The governments of all the countries that has banned the old bulbs, has made no effort in really informing the population about the health risk of the CFL, probably to not stir unneccessary resistance against CFLs. As a result most of the CFLs ends in the every day garbage, and ends in landfills, scattered, poisioning the environment. Some ends in the earth, water and air. Mercury are released from air with rain, and polutes rivers and lakes. Mercury is found in fish all over the world, due to excessive use. It is commonly used in gold mining, for the final separation stage. We do not need more mercury into our environment. Various legislations has been put in place, to place the financial burden of recycling on the producers/importers, but that helps nothing if ordinary people do not know (or ignore) to turn the CFLs and the LFLs for proper treatment.<br>
3. UV light is supposed to be blocked from being emitted, but surveys have shown that almost all examined lamps had imperfections, so UV light was not blocked totally.<br>
4. Rare Earth Elements (REE) is an essential component of CFLs and LFLs (and LEDs). <br>
Its the mixture of some 6 of these REE that decides the quality of light. The REE sounds rare, and several are rare and expensive. Yttrium is a key component in the mixture (62%, by some research). The supply of Yttrium is considered to be critical before 2016, together with terbium and europium, also used in the mix. China currently produce more than 90% of all REE. (But have only 38%) of the total reserve. They also place restrictions on export. So they are rare. Only recently has there been built commercial processing of the lamp powder remaining when mercury is removed. I am only aware of Solvay in France, who recently invested 15 mill Euros in two factories for this.<br>
REE mining is very energy intensive, and may pollutes air, land, surface water and ground water. <br>
One environmental aspect of REE mining is a large number of illegal artisenal mines in China, with an estimated production of an additional 20.000 ton over the appr. 140.000 tons currently produced.<br>
So, with limited facilities for recycling, most of the CFLs ending in landfills, or burned, together with an energy intensive, environmentally bad mining process, CFL may not be the green alternative the governments in the west hoped for….<br>
But, maybe the bad results people will get at home will boost the photography business again?<br>
happy shooting<br>
Kind regards<br>
Øyvind Strøm</p>