Bright Idea? You be the judge on this one.

Ok, I have to admit that when I set out to write this blog post, I was a bit more optimistic than I am now. I am still pretty excited, but I'm not yet 100% convinced that the change I am about to recommend is one of 100% convenience. It's pretty damn close though, so hear me out...


Compact Florescent Light Bulbs--what's the hype about and is it worth making the switch?

A few years ago, swayed by the “long life” sign that hung above a bin of these spiral bulbs at ikea, I tried buying a compact fluorescent bulb, just to see whether they were really any different. The one I bought definitely was—quite frankly, it sucked. It gave off very little light compared to other bulbs and I would compare it to one of those three-level lamps where you just constantly felt like it needed to be turned up a notch. I pretty much got ridiculed for buying it the moment I screwed it into a lame. And despite the fact that that light bulb is somehow still hanging above our coffee table (ok, it’s not the only light in the room and it's in this awkward hanging lamp precariously balanced on a not-so-stable hook in the ceiling, so there’s a bit of a risk involved that if the lamp comes down to replace the bulb, it’s not going back up again) I admit that my bulb purchase might not have been the brightest (sorry) decision. After this purchase I quickly abandoned and forgot about the idea of compact bulbs.

That is, until last weekend, when I decided to take another stab. After reading about Compact Florescent Lightbulbs (CFL’s for short) on environmental website after website, and then hearing that even Oprah (along with of all people Leonardo DiCaprio) was espousing the benefits of CFL’s (I learned this when some guy at the grocery store in front of me was buying a CFL and explaining to the cashier that he saw them on Oprah), I decided I wasn’t going to let my first experience deter me from trying again. So I shelled out 8 bucks at the local drug store, ignored the raised eyebrow that was staring at me when I carried the bulb home, and screwed it into the lamp next to the TV.

The result? The light was slightly dimmer at first, which I am chalking up to the fact that previously there was a 100 watt bulb and the CFL was the equivalent of a 60w. But other than that, I honestly couldn’t tell. And what’s better, no one else in my apartment could tell either. My condition in testing out the bulb (which still stands) is that if the bulbs fail to live up to their predecessors, I will gladly switch it out and return to conventional bulbs (at least until I find another CFL that works better). So far it’s been a week and the bulb is still standing.

This is where my initial optimism starts to wane slightly, as I recently went out and bought two additional CFL's, excited with the prospect of saving all this valuable energy. Screwing the bulbs into our outdoor patio light and then into the kitchen, I was in for a bit of disappointment. The outdoor light works great, as far as I'm concerned, but in the kitchen, it's a different story. I spent 30 minutes that evening sturring a pan full of turkey chili on the stove that looked yellower and yellower by the minute. I had to squint to see if it was done every ten seconds, and never really could tell. I'm going to have to say that I nix the CFL in the kitchen.

So I've come to the conclusion that perhaps the key to switching to CFL’s might be to strategically place them in certain lighting situations. Lamps that give off ambient light or lamps that are secondary light sources seem to work fine making the switch, however I'm not yet convinced that they're ideal for lights that serve as a primary light source--next to your bed for reading, in your office, or in the kitchen. I'm not ready to give up and will keep trying different brands and wattages before I come to an ultimate conclusion, but for now, I can't honestly say that these bulbs are ALWAYS ideal.

That said, I'm still going to devote the rest of this post to persuading you to try out CFL's for yourself. Perhaps you find a better brand than me, or perhaps you have 10 lamps in your house that don't really need that strong of a light in them, and in either case, I'll encourage you to at least try switching out one bulb and to judge for yourself whether you can tell the difference. I bought the one kind of bulb at my local hardware store, but there are plenty of options--check this handy resource for info on how to pick the right bulb for you.

The reason I’m so determined to find CFL’s that work and that seem like genuine options for lighting your home is because they make so much sense. Energy, at least in terms of global warming, seems to be an enemy these days. Every watt of electricity used by each of us translates into a certain amount of non-renewable resources usurped, a certain amount of carbon leaked into the atmosphere, and a minute fraction of a percent of the hard-to-reverse increase in our planet’s temperature. We are urged from every environmental group to conserve our electricity use, to use only what we NEED and not what we conveniently forget (or decide not) to turn off.

The facts about CFLs:
Switching to CFL’s uses one third to one fourth of the energy that regular, incandescent, bulbs require. According to environmentaldefense.org, this saves more than 1,000 pounds of carbon emissions over the life of the bulb. According to the carbon calculator at stopglobalwarming.org, this saves 100 pounds of carbon emissions (or $20) per bulb per year.

So that’s pretty much the argument for switching to CFL's. They use less energy—a lot less—which means that they help conserve resources, and contribute less to global warming.


Now for the convenience factor. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that there is no reason you shouldn’t make the switch to CFL’s. Here’s my rationale for the lazy, the stubborn, or the otherwise unconvincible:


Effort-wise, buying a CFL bulb is EASIER than shelling out $4 at Starbucks on your way to work every day and EQUAL to picking up a six pack of beer or a bottle of wine on a Friday afternoon.

CFL’s are not cheap—I spent $8 on mine—so I certainly don’t recommend rushing out to the hardware store and buying a replacement bulb for every lamp in your house. However, what I do recommend is once you decide to make the switch, to buy one bulb a week and gradually convert the lights in your home. $8 a week will buy you a lot—the aforementioned starbucks or booze, but also dinner at your favorite carryout place down the street, a slurpee a day from 711, or your taxi fare on the way home when you are feeling too lazy to walk. Hopefully your weekly budget can stand slipping in a lightbulb every Wednesday, and if it can’t, maybe consider skipping the starbucks while you accumulate 3 or 4 bulbs.


Once you buy a CFL you will have to change your lightbulbs LESS than usual.
The CFL I bought came with a guarantee that the bulb would last 5 years or I could return it for a refund. Not that I’m planning on keeping my receipt for the life of the bulb or anything, but it’s a reassuring claim. So if you are really lazy, or just hate climbing up on a ladder to replace those hard to reach ceiling lamps, these are the thing for you.


In the not-so long term, CFL’s will save you money, or at least not lose you any.
Once you buy your CFL, it’s like an investment. Since the bulbs use ¼ of the energy of a regular bulb, your energy bill should slowly start to cost you less and less the more bulbs you buy. Of course, according to wikipedia, it takes about 500 hours of use for a CFL to pay for itself, which, if you leave your lights on 24-7 is about 3 weeks, or with a more normal use pattern of 4 hours a day, is 3 months. Not an instant money saving scheme, but not to shabby either. Start by swapping out the conventional bulbs in your most-used lamps to see the greatest difference.


Need more motivation?
EnvironmentalDefense.org has started a CFL campaign, which by signing up shows you not only your own personal efforts but those of everyone else as well.


Sound like a good idea but think the bulbs are too expensive?
Here’s a sale for you.


Like the idea and want to take it a step further?
banthebulb.org is a pretty intense site taking CFL’s to the extreme. Lots of statistics if you are interested.

So that's it--buy a bulb, try it out, and judge for yourself whether you can sacrifice a little wattage for the greater good of the world. And please let me know if you find bulbs that you are happy with!