apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm not quite yet sold. I bought some CFL's and absolutely hate the quality of light they put out. I'll opt for more appealing lighting every time over being "green" just for the sake of being green.

CF bulbs can't be dimmed. There are a few that are labeled as "compatible with electronic dimmers" but the ones I bought had to be returned because in fact they don't dim.

CF bulbs only work in some sockets, not all. I can't use them in my recessed ceiling fixtures, nor in my low voltage mini-pendant lights nor in my dining room chandelier, nor in the low voltage fixture in my kitchen.

CF bulbs are toxic to dispose of - they should never be put in landfills. What will happen when millions and millions of these things start getting used? It's an ecological time bomb.

So lets all stay off of the "ban the 'evil' incandescent bulbs" bandwagon.

If you want something to worry about, worry about the impending global crop failures due to massive honeybee disappearance (colony collapse disorder).

Daily Nuance: I think that brings up an interesting issue. Most people aren't prone to make changes if it upsets their comfort zones, whether it be bulb choices, fuel use, recycling, or purchasing choices. But why think of these things as an all or nothing affair. Just changing one bulb in your household could be a good step forward. How about mixing an incandescent with a CFL for a light source that better matches the light spectrum that you feel comfortable with?

Different CFLs put out different lights. Perhaps there's a CFL out there with your name on it :)

Gregory, you're right. We use CFL's in some fixtures and not others. They use much less electricity than incandescent bulbs and last a lot longer, so even if you don't care about being green you can save money by switching at least some of your bulbs.

"So lets all stay off of the "ban the 'evil' incandescent bulbs" bandwagon."

We're promoting the use of CFLs, but also making note of other upcoming environmentally friendly solutions. There's already an ecological time bomb: our current and expanding energy use and demands. People can make smaller changes to their lifestyle by mixing in CFLs, LEDs or even lower wattage incandescents. No technology is evil in our eyes....but we see an opportunity here to promote energy savings, and CFLs can be part of that progressive change. As noted in my comment above, changing out incandescents can be a partial migration, not just an all or nothing affair. Like it or not, we need to make changes in public consumption and lifestyle.

I'm glad you mentioned the honey bee issue...it's an issue with similar implications.

While it's true the CFL's contain a tiny amount of mercury, it's also true that burning fossil fuels such as coal also releases a LOT of mercury into the environment. In the studies I've seen, because CFL's save so much energy they end up releasing significantly less mercury into the environment than incandescent bulbs do. And the mercury in CFL's can be fairly easily recovered as part of the recycling process. Mercury from burning fossil fuels blows all over the planet, contaminating our air, water and food.

CFL's are now available in a wide array of sizes - IKEA sells a pretty impressive selection. I was surprised to find bulbs which fit several small lamps I own.

Gregory - I'm all for changing consumption patterns when applicable. I'm just way too leery of the California "ban everything" trend.

As to honeybees, there's no implications, and not likely anything we can do except to hunt for alternate ways to pollinate crops. There's no culprit identified as of yet in CCD. It's widely known that mites are responsible for many of the dead colonies, especially in Britain but the jury is still out on the cause or the cure here. And no, banning cellphones won't cure CCD.