Energy-savers way to go?

(CFLs) by the end of the year, made good reading to all those environmentally conscious citizens of this great nation.
There are a myriad of benefits that are attached to the use of CFLs as aptly highlighted by Zesa’s spokesperson, Fullard Gwasira.
Among other benefits, the power utility will save about 200 megawatts, which are enough to meet the maximum power demand of at least four small towns like Mutare, Gweru, Kwekwe and Masvingo.
Considering the seemingly unending power outages in the country, such a saving will come in handy and serve to ameliorate other power-related challenges that have unceremoniously retarded our collective efforts to resuscitate our sanctions-battered economy.
CFLs use 75 percent less electricity and even last up to 10 times longer than the incandescent bulbs.
This will prove to be largely beneficial to the environment because it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants created by fossil-fuel power plants like Hwange Thermal Power Station. In addition, consumers are going to have huge savings as they will subsequently purchase less CFL bulbs compared to incandescent bulbs. As these energy-savers are renowned for using less energy, this will inevitably translate to a significant reduction in the consumers’ electric bills, which means more money in their besieged pockets.
In a nutshell, the use of energy-savers will provide the much-needed respite to the incontrovertibly overwhelmed national grid and might see an end to the infamous and unscheduled load shedding.
As we applaud the power utility for this noble move, it must, however, not escape our minds that the introduction of these energy-saver bulbs has its own fair share of inescapable negative repercussions.
Lessons from other countries like South Africa and the UK who are currently grappling with the problem of accumulating mounds of used energy-savers should inform us to lay preventive groundwork that will guarantee human and environmental safety for the sake of ourselves and our posterity.
Zesa should therefore be bold enough to not only outline the apparent benefits, but also underscore the possible dangers of using CFLs and also in the same breath emphatically spell the precautionary measures to be observed by consumers during the use and disposal of these electrical accessories.
Arguably, there is no better time to educate the nation about the safe handling and disposal of these CFLs than now.
We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes we made when we readily accepted the wide use of beverage cans without putting in place the requisite disposal and recycling dispensations.
Each energy-saver bulb contains about 5mg to 30mg of mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal with serious health consequences to humans, animals, and fish. At low levels it will cause irreversible damage to the brain, spinal cord or kidneys. At higher levels it will kill. Our bodies retain mercury, and repeated exposures will just accumulate more until the effects are noticed and most often irreversible.
Although the mercury is safely contained inside the glass tube of the light, it can leak out once the bulb is broken. The mercury can come in contact with one’s skin or breathed in, which can both cause potential mercury poisoning. The mercury can also become exposed to bedding, clothing and carpeting, where it can remain embedded. Normal sweeping can cause mercury particles to become airborne thus any inhalation will cause potential lung damage.
Even if the bulb does not break during use, the bulb has a high potential to crack or shatter when it is being handled in waste facilities. The mercury will then seep into the ground thus poisoning groundwater in the area and downstream.
Cumulatively, CFLs have a potential to acutely poison all our water bodies and the resultant consequences are too ghastly to contemplate. Besides seeping into the ground, the mercury also poses grave danger to our urban children who usually scrounge in the rubbish areas. In their innocent inquisitiveness, they may break the CFLs thus exposing themselves to mercury poisoning. As these energy-savers are already in use, it is therefore important that we educate our people on how to handle broken or burnt-out bulbs.
The following steps may provide a guideline. When removing bulbs, be careful not to squeeze the tubing or pull on the bulb. After removing the bulbs, it is advisable to seal them in two or more plastic bags before disposing them.
Do not throw used mercury bulbs into regular trash.
There are no mercury bulb recycling facilities in Zimbabwe, it is advisable to bury the sealed mercury bulbs in deep holes beyond the reach of children. If a bulb breaks in your home you should open the windows to aerate the room. Do not directly touch the shattered glass or affected areas because mercury can be absorbed through the skin. Use disposable gloves in handling the broken glass. Shops could also provide central collection centres for used bulbs for further disposal by responsible authorities.
It is also important for government to come up with regulations that enforces manufacturers of CFLs to display on bulb packages precautionary measures for safely handling the energy-savers.
Responsible authorities should immediately seize this challenge and come up with better disposal arrangements to combat possible dangers posed by the use of CFLs.