Going Green . . . - A Simple Light Bulb Will Help

Can one light bulb make a difference in the battle to halt global warming?

Environmentalists such as Brown University's Steven Hamburg say that if each American replaced one energy-inefficient incandescent light bulb for a longer-lasting, electricity-conserving compact fluorescent, or CFL, it would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year, as well as eliminate greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to what is released from nearly 800,000 cars.

But before heading out to the store to buy such a bulb - each one is about $9 but should last about 8 years - figure out what type you need. The bulbs are available in different sizes, shapes and brightness, and do fit in most indoor and outdoor fixtures. Check the packaging to make sure there aren't any restrictions on fixtures. Some bulbs have trouble operating in enclosed lantern- type lighting. If you have recessed lights, it is better to use specially made reflector compact bulbs, which are made for "can" lights.

There are CFLs for use with dimmer switches and three-way lamps, but they may not be sold at all local hardware stores. They're on the Internet at www.gelighting.com; www.sylvania.com, www.energystar.gov, www.bulbs.com or www.buylighting.com. (There are lighting fixtures produced specifically for CFLs too.)

Consider the color of the bulb when determining where you want to put it. The energystar.gov web site recommended warmer light (red tones) for sitting rooms and bedrooms, and cooler (bluish) for functional rooms such as workshops, home offices and the kitchen.

To get the most energy savings, use CFLs in the most frequently used lights in your house, such as the kitchen and porch.

The brightness of CFLs is measured by lumens and not watts. The higher the lumen the greater the light output. For example, a 40 watt bulb equals 450 lumens; 60 watts is 800; and 75 watts is 1,100.

Also, check out the May issue of Popular Mechanics. Its cover story is about the testing of seven brands of CFLs against a 75- watt incandescent bulb. Magazine staffers and Jesse Smith, a lighting expert from Parsons, the New School for Design in Manhattan, were put in a neutral-colored room and asked to rate the bulbs after given reading material and then asked to look at faces and objects.

The testers concluded that traditional bulbs measured slightly brighter than the equivalent CFLs but the "subjects didn't see any dramatic difference in brightness," reported the magazine. When it came to the overall quality of the light, the Popular Mechanics article reported that all the CFLs scored higher than the incandescent bulbs.

"The new fluorescent bulbs aren't just better for both your wallet and the environment, they produce better light," the magazine reported.

Once a CFL burns out, you will need to dispose of it as hazardous waste because of the tiny bit of mercury each one contains. For disposal information, visit www.energystar.gov, www.earth911.org or www.rirrc.org or call the Eco-Depot at (401) 942-1430, ext. 241. (Collection of hazardous waste in Rhode Island must be done by appointment on a designated drop-off day and location. The next one is May 5 at the Johnston Landfill.)

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Brown professor Steven Hamburg holds a compact flourescent lightbulb.

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