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Over Spring Break, ASN assisted in leading church youth from Trinity, St. Michael’s, Christ Church, and St. Margaret’s through a green assessment of Camp Mitchell Camp and Retreat Center. The group created a short video and a summary of recommendations and actions that was presented to the Camp Board of Directors. Our assessment found that the camp is well on it’s way to becoming a greener place. We would like to salute the Camp for taking action.
As part of an initiative that began prior to the assessment, the camp has replaced almost all light bulbs with compact fluorescents, which will undoubtedly result in substantial energy savings. Since our recent presentation to the Board, the Camp replaced all shower heads with low flow fixtures, resulting in tremendous savings of water resources and on water bills. A recent Senior High Summer Camp begun construction of a compost station for the camp, and agreed to coordinate a green teams for camp groups. The green team will be a group of campers charged with the responsibility to take on the task of raising camper awareness, eco-action, and cooperation with the camp greening process during their stay at the summer camp.
We’re highly impressed with Camp Mitchell and wrote this blog simply to say, “Thanks Camp Mitchell – you just keep going, and going and going… green!”
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Do any of you ever question the conventional wisdom? Have a look around on You Tube and the like, and you will discover that these “eco-friendly” compact fluorescent bulbs are anything but friendly to the human organism. I had a friend who had a heart attack the other day, after doing something as simple as “sweeping up the mess”, when one of these bulbs broke? They apparently give off mercury vapour when they break and can cause a recurrence of previous health issues. He is still very sick, about 3 weeks later, and was back in the ER only yesterday, “knocking on death’s door” in his words. If you are sending children to this “Camp Mitchell” I would suggest you have some regard for health and safety issues as well as the environmental. In any case Its hard to think of them as eco-friendly when they seem to be already presenting a safe disposal nightmare.
Comment by linbug August 13, 2008 @ 12:08 amIt is true that Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs contain mercury as do many of our household products as well as conventional fluorescent lights which light up daycares and schools across the country. Here is a list of mercury-containing products that can be found all over our houses:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/con-prod.htm#t1c13
We have all been surrounded by mercury-containing products for some time now. The content of these products as well as the sheer quantity of items we dispose of is indeed presenting a safe disposal nightmare.
Production of electricity is the major contributor to mercury pollution in the US. Because CFLs are 75 percent more efficient than incandescents, producing the electricity needed to power an incandescent bulb causes four times the mercury pollution than does producing the power to run an equivalent CFL.
It’s good that you brought up the information through, because it does allow for conversation about how to dispose of CFLs when they burn out – please put them with your other household toxics (batteries, broken electronics, and the like) and dispose of them at your county or city household toxics collection facility.
Here’s another useful pdf that outlines information regarding the mersury content in compact fluorescents:
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf
And in case a compact florescent gets broken here’s safety instructions for how to clean it up: (This comes from the Energy Star website.)
Comment by Katy August 13, 2008 @ 2:49 amHow should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?
Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal
guidelines:
1. Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
Have people and pets leave the room, and don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with
metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces and powder.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
3. Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug:
Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.:
If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken
CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
5. Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
6. Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.