Richard McMahan in his letter ("Mercury hazards posed by CFLs," Nov. 25) is apt and correct, as far as he goes.
The tiny amount of mercury in compact fluorescent lamps is still too much. Mercury is an environmental hazard that needs to be eliminated. Yet, most mercury comes to us via the air (a typical swordfish contains many times the mercury of a CFL) through our coal industry, which powers the electricity that powers our lights. Less lighting — or more efficient lighting — leads to less mercury overall.
Incandescent bulbs are one of the chief sources of mercury pollution, just not at the level of the household but at the source in coal-fired power plants. Once you add in the true costs of incandescent bulbs — costs over time, costs to replace and ship inefficient bulbs, higher energy costs per bulb, etc. — the best options for their price are CFLs, certainly not incandescents, which Professor Howard Brandston champions Don Quixote-like ("Shining light on bulbs' appeal," Nov. 19).
JONATHAN LLOYD
Valley Falls