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The micro mini Twist CFL: Big light, small package
When it comes to the advent of the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), I am proud to say that I was an early adopter. And while I instantly noticed a reduction in my monthly electric bill, I also noticed that the compact fluorescent was not without its flaws. I found that the early compact fluorescents were often too bulky, preventing their use in certain fixtures; that they took a while to ‘warm up’ to full their full brightness; and that the light they put off could be a little harsh, especially as compared to the warm glow of the Edison-era incandescent light bulb. But times have changed, and the new micro-mini Twist from SYLVANIA is evidence that CFLs don’t need to be big, slow, and bright to be effective.
The micro-mini’s size is one of its biggest appeals and is what jumped out at me right away. Featuring an ultra-small ¼ inch tube diameter and a compact integral electronic ballast, the 13W micro-mini is the smallest CFL on today’s market.
Green Light New Orleans Recently reached a milestone: 60,000 compact fluorescent bulbs installed for free in local homes since October 2006. The headline-making 60,000th CFL was installed earlier this month at the Jeannette Street home of Irene Green.
Established in 2006 after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Green Light New Orleans is the brainchild of Swiss-born musician Andi Hoffmann, who’s now a resident of the Big Easy. Hoffman started the program first as a way to offset the greenhouse gas pollution he and his band b-goes generated during their tours to Europe. It’s since taken on a greater goal: to reduce New Orleanians’ energy costs and help fight climate change.
By Carol Gulyas •
April 2, 2008
People who live in energy-efficient (EE) houses are sexier because:
1. Their houses are not drafty, so in winter they can walk around in sexy lingerie instead of heavy bathrobes and bunny slippers.
2. They can talk knowledgeably about “blower door tests” and “weather stripping” at parties.
3. Men who live in EE houses get to brag about the size of their carbon footprint.
4. Dimmable CFLs are so much more romantic.
5. [...]
OK, we know Rush Limbaugh hates them, but now Congress? U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R, Minnesota) is sponsoring a bill known as the “Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act,” which would put a stop to the federal energy bill’s mandate to phase out regular incandescent bulbs starting in 2012.
By Jim Gunshinan •
January 2, 2008
December 28th, 2007 by Jim Gunshinan
Broke Your CFL? Don’t Panic!
The typical dose of mercury in a CFL is about the sizeof a pen tip
(circled in red), and these doses have been getting smaller and smaller.
(Photo provided by EPA.)
Australia has already begun to phase out the incandescent light bulb,
and the energy legislation recently signed by President Bush has
begun that process in the United States. Every time I turnaround,
it seems, someone is handing me a brand new
compact
[...]
By Cassie Walker •
October 18, 2007
Having implemented several water-saving ideas from the first Living Green Workshop I attended (no beef for two weeks!) I was excited to go back to learn about the next topic: Energy. Developed and taught by Santa Monica-based non-profit Sustainable Works, the class did not let me down.
I would think that by now most of us know that the ways that we currently produce most of our energy cannot continue into
[...]
During our energy unit, I had a student tell me that her family was going to install compact fluorescent bulbs in their home, but they were worried about the mercury. Huh? I hadn't heard anything about this, and I had been using CFLs for years. I decided to investigate further.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that mercury exposure is a common misconception when it comes to CFLs. Fortunately, these
[...]
Australia’s getting on the energy-efficient light bulb bandwagon, and in a big way. It recently announced it will phase out the use of inefficient, traditional light bulbs (incandescents) and replace them with the highly efficient, often swirly looking bulbs called compact fluorescents light bulbs (CFLs).
By making the switch, Australia could cut global warming pollution by 4 million tons in the next 5 years and cut household electric bills by up to
[...]
