Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, and Dispose of Them Properly
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a fantastic solution to our energy woes; they use two-thirds of the powered required by regular incandescent bulbs, and last 10 times longer. However, unlike traditional bulbs, they contain poisonous mercury, and, therefore, need to be recycled instead of being thrown in the garbage (see LampRecycle.org). And, if they break, it's trouble; see EnergyStar.gov for cleanup instructions.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MadMike said 10:35AM on 4-16-2009
The problem with fluorescent bulbs:
1.) They don't dim
2.) "Dimmable" fluorescent bulbs, don't work well, die quickly and cost a lot.
3.) fluorescent bulbs cast a very cold, bright light. It's very hard to find warm, soft lighting. They are too "institutional" looking.
4.) They are VERY expensive, usually 300% to 600% more than an average incandescent light-bulb.
5.) They are ugly, they don't fit in a lot of existing fixtures and they look weird in others.
They are not that "Environmentally Friendly". The chemicals used to produce them, and the energy it takes to even recycle them, makes them not any better than a regular incandescent bulb.
LED and OLED lights will become mainstream soon enough.
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x54 said 10:44AM on 4-16-2009
also mercury tastes really bad!
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