Considering the whole environmental impact

Doing right by the environment is not as simple as it seems. For example, is it better to use paper or plastic cups? (answer below)

To know, you have to consider the whole lifecycle impacts, as this prior report gets closer to doing -- how much energy to produce, how much energy to recycle, how many contaminants as byproducts, how many contaminants to dispose.

Many of these are very difficult apples to oranges trade-offs. Our environmental professionals have to do better in synthesizing these for consumers -- who can't possibly weigh these on their own.

Consider this cautionary story on Mercury in those energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

Beyond household accidents, how many people will mistakenly throw away these bulbs, contaminating our landfills and surrounding groundwater with Mercury?

Please, if you're involved with reviewing products for environmental impact -- help us consumers by providing the difficult analysis that spans the product's lifecycle. I have doubts whether I really should be buying CF bulbs.

(answer to question above: all things considered, it's actually glass cups that seem to have the best compromise of initial and ongoing energy consumption, and potential to recycle rather than dispose)

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