Update: New lighting's darkside

The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs only amounts to a trace, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a move to calm fears about the pollution potential of the new lighting.
More people are finding out they need to take care when disposing of a CFL (or if one might break) because of the mercury it contains.
Mercury can be hazardous to people. Improper disposal could lead to contamination.
But EPA officials responding to a citizen's question sent out a news release on the question, assuring people that the significant energy savings makes it worth it to use CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs.
Compact fluorescents typically use 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than the kind of bulb it's replacing.
The mercury in a CFL is only a trace amount, about five milligrams, the EPA's Dan Gallo, an electronics recycling specialist, responded the citizen's question about disposal. This amount "would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen.
"It would take 100 CFLs to equal the amount of mercury contained in older thermometers, which is about 500 milligrams."
Several retailers have stepped up to facilitate proper disposal of CFLs, the EPA official adds. Home Depot, IKEA and Ace Hardware will accept these bulbs for recycling, and Wal-Mart has started a similar pilot program in Richmond, Va., which may mean widespread CFL relief is on the way.
Some precautions need to be taken if a CFL is broken. Gallo said get everyone out of the room and open windows to air it out for 15 minutes.
The bulbs — with safe handling, of course — are by far more beneficial than harmful, the EPA indicated.
"Since CFLs use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs, if every American switched one incandescent bulb to a CFL, it would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 800,000 cars," the release said.

More tips can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/index.htm
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/faqs.htm