WC#2 - Philips: Durability Trumps Green (pg. 390-391) Ryan Thurmer

The actual title of this article should really be: Philips: Durability Trumps Green Despite Hazardous Chemicals and Hidden Costs in Buying this Product. Netherlands’ based Philips found out that in order to sell green products to Americans they have to be able to do something else, since a products effect of the environment is the fourth or fifth factor in an American’s mind while purchasing a product. Philips has been manufacturing CFL lights since 1978 but really only became popular in America in the last 5-10 years. This is because, according to the article, when companies like Philips changed the name of the product from EARTHLIGHT to MARATHON sales increased because the marketing is now based on performance and function rather than its effect on the environment.

Ironically, though, these CFLs contain enough of a percentage of mercury that they have to be disposed of properly (with a monetary cost) and are in fact illegal to throw out in some states. Good luck trying to get that out of your carpet when they break. Don’t get me wrong using less energy for the same amount of light is a great idea but, at what cost to our health? Yes they use less energy, but they are hazardous to us to a point. Now if they can replace mercury alloy in dental fillings, thermometers, felt manufacture, primer composition (in ammunition) and the like...I’m confident we will see CFLs w/o mercury in World Changing 2.0.