To the Editor:
The energy efficient light bulbs found nearly unanimously over Brown's campus are a welcomed presence. More light, less energy - a perfect formula. However, we should all be aware that we do need to be careful with these bulbs. In short, don't break them. If you do, you might have to deal with mercury poisoning at levels that put tuna fish to shame. (An average bulb has five mg of mercury, while tuna has 60 micrograms per an average serving of six ounces, meaning these light bulbs have about 100 times more mercury than the fish.) Due to the high levels of hazardous waste within the bulbs, they should also be disposed of properly. I'm sure that many people aren't aware (I know I certainly wasn't until recently) of the dangers that simply throwing them into the trash can pose.
With that said, the environmental benefits of the light bulbs are astounding - you could hardly ask for better than 50 to 80% less energy usage while getting the same light output. But breaking one of them requires you to leave the room for at least 20 minutes, wipe the shards up with a wet rag, put them in a plastic bag and then recycle them. And there's no guarantee that you won't have missed some of the glass.
All in all, let's just be careful. I'd hate to see these bulbs lose status because of complications regarding the waste within them. Hopefully Brown will give students a way to recycle the bulbs as Facilities Management does for faculty members.
Stephanie Spielman '10Feb. 27
