Unless you are ready to give up television altogether (perhaps not a bad idea) you will impact the environment in different ways, depending on the type of television you choose. Here is a breakdown of what is in your television and how it may be impacting the environment.
The best choice for a television is the plain old CRT. This was the original standard for television technology before the gorgeous flat screens came along. CRTs use less energy when they are running, and they don’t have anything to do with nitrogen trifluoride, a chemical that is used in the making of flat screen televisions. Nitrogen trifluoride can linger in the air for 550 years, and although no one is keeping track of how much of it is being released into the atmosphere, climate scientists believe that it may be one of the biggest factors contributing to global warming. So stick with your old television and use a digital converter until that television can no longer be repaired.
All televisions, regardless of type, have hard plastic shells that are treated with flame retardants. While these flame retardants are meant to protect you in case of a fire, the retardants can attach themselves to household dust and then get inhaled or ingested. Once in your body, these chemicals have been linked to learning problems in children and interference with hormones. Keep televisions well vacuumed and use a hepa filter on the vacuum.
LCDs and Plasma televisions have the same disposal issues. Proper electronic recycling of these televisions is essential, especially for LCDs which contain a florescent bulb that cannot be replaced when it burns out. Sadly, even when consumers take their old televisions to an electronics recycling center, many of these televisions wind up in poor parts of the world, where children and families take them apart. When opened, lead, cadium and other hazardous material is exposed.
So which television do you choose? Well, LCDs consume slightly less energy than do Plasma televisions. The difference isn’t that large. But what is large are the screen sizes. The larger the screen, the more energy you will be consuming. LCDs tend to come in smaller screen sizes, making them slightly greener. Look for 27 inches or smaller.
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