Compact Fluorescent Lamps, an Anticipatory Mind to Mercury

The compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) was invented by Ed Hammer, an engineer working for General Electric, in response to the 1973 oil crisis and introduced worldwide in the 1980s. CFLs present an advantage to the consumer relative to traditional or incandescent bulbs. For instance, CFLs provide the same intensity of light as incandescent bulbs, but use about 75% less energy and generate approximately 75% less heat, cutting home cooling costs. Also, they last up to ten times longer than a standard incandescent bulb. CFLs also have a positive impact on the environment, because of its lower energy requirement, just one bulb can prevent more than 400 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime.