Go Forth and Screw and Earn Green Credits

No, this isn't some bizarre sex article, you swine!  Get your filthy mind out of the gutter and read on.  Many months ago, I started replacing the incandescent light bulbs in my home with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights).  Now I'd love to claim that this change was solely motivated by environmental consciousness, but that was not the case.  What really motivated it was laziness. 

I get tired of changing the light bulbs all the time and when we moved into the river house, it seemed like every bulb in the place was on the rapidly increasing downside slope of planned obsolescence.  It seemed like every day or two - another one blinked out.

We had a small supply of new bulbs when we moved in, but they started running out and when I went to the big box hardware store, I went looking for long-life bulbs.  While I was there, I saw some of the new swirly looking fluorescent bulbs and they said they'd last a really, really long time and I was immediately hooked.

I did the mental math that factored their supposed life cycle against the life cycle of an incandescent bulb and then did the math against the increased cost and decided that it was well worth it to have a bulb that lasted longer and that didn't even factor in the savings in electricity cost.

I knew that fluorescent bulbs in the past had given off this eerie greenish, dentist's office glow and I hoped these would not be too much like that, but I stocked up on a few and gave them a try.  Well, I am a convert for sure.  Here's why.

(1) The light they give off is neither harsh nor green, it's warm and bright.  Not at all unpleasing and did I mention REALLY bright.  The 60 watt replacement CFL bulb that uses about 1/3rd of the electricity of the one it replaces is noticeably brighter.

(2) They are certainly living up to their long life claim.  So far, none have failed and I anticipate that continuing.

(3) Unless the manufacturers are making it up, I am saving lots of electricity and that saves money and that's always a good thing.

and here's the best reason of all ...

(4) I am now a genuine "green guy" with ever increasing "creds" in the world of global ecological protection.  I am expecting Al Gore to bring me my award any day now.  Al and I are close like that - don't you know :-)

All kidding aside, there's lots of very interesting data that says replacing your bulbs with CFLs is a really good idea and all of the naysayers who are shouting about mercury perils and other such fears should read this awesome article that debunks all those concerns.  It's by a guy named Brendan I. Koerner and it's called, The Case for CFLs - Compact fluorescent light bulbs are safe, and they look great, too.  I stumbled across it while looking for something else (like I find most things these days) and was delighted to find out that I'm doing a really good thing for the environment and helping my eyes and laziness at the same time.

I urge you to read this article.  Just to whet your appetite, here's just one of the things it cites.  Since Australia has now mandated the gradual phased conversion from incandescent to CFL bulbs, that program will eventually have the same cumulative positive anti-pollution effect as removing 1 MILLION cars from the road.  That's 40 million metric TONS less greenhouse gas pollution!  Kinda heavy, don't you think?

Now that's a lot, but if you consider the impact worldwide, as I just did, the math is staggering.  The world population is about 6.6 Trillion people - do you still feel significant :-)  Anyway, if we used the math equation that would effect a savings of one million cars in Australia (dividing the population by 20.684) and apply that same math to the population of the world, the annual savings would be like removing over 319 million vehicles from the road and reduce greenhouse emissions by a staggering 12.7 TRILLION metric tons.

Just to make sure the impact is fully understood and in case you (like me) didn't know what a metric ton (or tonne as our metrically inclined brethren and sisteren are inclined to spell it) actually is - it's 2,204 US pounds as opposed to our own good old ton (less letters - less weight) which is only 2,000 pounds.

So, to put this into a final perspective, if (when) the world gets into screwing the CFL way, we could reduce the harmful emissions we spew into the atmosphere our kids are breathing every day by 14 TRILLION US TONS and that, my dear brothers and sisters, is indeed HEAVY!

P.S. Before you leap to correct me and say that a person in an undeveloped country may not use as many light bulbs in their home as an Australian might in theirs, I am well aware of that.  However, I am also aware that in many countries, automobile ownership is nowhere near that of Australia and that Australia is a very diverse country, so I choose to believe that the statistics, while certainly skewed toward light bulb usage point out a very important fact - less incandescent bulb usage equals less energy usage = less pollution and that is a very good thing regardless of where you live of what math you choose to believe.  

Therefore, I exhort you to go forth and screw - all over your home - it'll do you good!