See the light

You know the story: Change your incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) and it's a win-win situation: you save money on your electric bill and JEA doesn't need to burn as much mercury-emitting coal. But, as some people have noted, CFLs themselves contain some mercury. So, are they still a smart choice? Outside magazine says:

"CFLs contain only five milligrams of mercury, less than what's released from a coal-fired plant producing the energy used by an incandescent bulb during one year."

And, everyone knows, JEA burns A LOT of coal to power Jacksonville. So the answer is, switch to CFLs, save money, and hopefully cut down on the massive amounts of mercury that JEA emits. And when it comes time to throwing out a CFL (which shouldn't be anytime soon since they last 10 times longer than traditional bulbs), Outside magazine notes:

"Still, don't go throwing CFLs in your household trash. Check earth911.org for safe, local disposal options."