With all the concern about the environment increasing lately, Australia has taken a step toward energy savings by passing a ban on incandescent light bulbs. The entire country must use alternatives, such as compact florescent. The ban will come into full effect in three years.
I've been phasing in full-spectrum compact florescent bulbs as my existing incandescent bulbs burn out for some time now. The jury's out as far as I'm concerned on power savings and the bulb's lifetime, but if that's the direction everything's headed, why not be an early adopter on this one?
They're considering a similar measure in California. I have mixed feelings, especially since I am not clear on if compact fluorescent is better through its entire life cycle. How does it compare in production and disposal? Is the power savings sufficient for the differences?
I've done a short search and the environmental impact is said to be less by some, but I agree, I would like to know more about the energy costs of producing the bulbs and any environmental impact of that process. Here's one discussion I dug up that addresses mercury in the bulbs: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/what_about_merc.php