The Catch 22 Lightbulb

I recently wrote an entry about energy saving light bulbs, and how they were a great idea albeit expensive. Figuring I should practice what I preach, I decided to go out and purchase a 6 pack of these bulbs to start off with. In an attempt to get the most bang for my buck, I started reading the specifications of the bulbs on the box. I was shocked to find these bulbs contain mercury. What??!! Needless to say, I didn't bother purchasing any of the bulbs. Why on earth would I want to bring a product containing a known hazardous substance into my home?
Apparently these bulbs have a very low level of mercury in them (about 1/100th of what was once used in dental fillings), but enough to be concerned if the bulb happens to break.
I'm starting to think I'll be one of the people who stockpiles the old energy sucker bulbs before they become illegal to produce and sell (by year 2012 apparently).
I don't want those risky light bulbs in my home. And don't get me wrong here, I care very much about the environment and am all about measures to reduce smog. I am very disappointed though in our government and in a respected figure like David Suzuki, who is promoting these bulbs in commercials.
Have they thought about what will happen when these bulbs start piling up in landfills? Hello mercury being released into the environment. So we are trading one environmental issue for another then?
I really hope manufacturers of the light bulbs can figure out how to make an equivalent bulb with no toxic substances inside. Seeing how far technology has come, it certainly should not be considered an impossibility.

A Bright Idea?

Pretty soon it will be illegal to produce and sell incandescent light bulbs in Canada. Their replacement? The energy saver bulb. A 13 watt energy saver light bulb is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent. What does this mean? Well, up to 78% savings on the lighting portion of your electricity costs. Which in turn, leads to less demand on our energy grid. Now imagine how much energy would be saved if everyone switched? And less energy demand means less harm to our environment from the coal-fired energy plants.
Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? It really is. However, there is quite a price point difference to switch over. For your average 2 pack of incandescent bulbs, you are looking at around $1.98. For your average 2 pack of energy saver light bulbs, you are looking at $9.98. So, five times the cost to be environmentally responsible. If you are looking to outfit your home with these new bulbs, it would cost the average homeowner over $100 depending on your lighting situation. Seems like quite the investment (penalty?) to be environmentally responsible (take a look at my entry about hybrid vehicles as well).
I think they should really lower the price of the light bulbs to encourage everyone at every income level to replace their old bulbs. If not, unfortunately, those on a tight budget may be compelled to stockpile the cheaper, energy hungry incandescent, before the lights go out on them and they are yanked from the shelves for good.