Green Options

Cree Inc. will be fitting Wedge 5 of the Pentagon with over 4,000 LED light fixtures.The U.S. Department of Energy said that LED lighting saved the country about 8.7 trillion watt hours in 2007. This is out of the 765 trillion watt hours used for lighting in the United States.

Do you like the environmental friendliness of CFL bulbs but also enjoy the shape of incandescent bulbs? GE has a solution — the world’s first incandescent-shaped CFL bulb. The 8,000-hour CFL is guaranteed for 5 years based on 4 hours of daily use.

According to Clean Break, General Electric has dumped all plans for revitalizing their century-old incandescent lightbulb. Instead, it plans to focus on light-emitting diodes (LED) and its organic counterpart — the OLED.

I find myself both amused and completely horror-struck by the evangelical cult that resides within the GOP. They’re consistently bested by their faith, and to the point of absurdity. This is especially true with regards to the climate crisis. And quite frankly, I blame Jesus.

Recessed can lighting is a familiar method of lighting rooms.  Rather than having fixtures protruding into the space, the light source is hidden in a recess in the ceiling, reducing glare.  But, when the ceiling above is insulated, the can light fixture is a potential source of air leaks and thermal bridging.

I recently got a press release from a company advertising a product to quickly and easily “convert” recessed can lights to a pendant light look.  But, after a brief look, it turns out to be a particularly bad case of greenwash.

If you ask Simran about compact florescent light bulbs, she may crack one open and cut you. Not really, that would scatter mercury, but she is loca for the light bulbs. Check Monday’s Huffington Post for the full version of this post.

People give you this whole rap about how easy saving the planet is. Change a light bulb and save the world. Yes and no. How about we consider it a start rather than an end destination?

Lighting accounts for about 20% of our electric bills. Traditional bulbs burn heat rather than light, so are extremely inefficient. Compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) are 80% more efficient and can last up to 10 times longer than a traditional bulb. Last December, Congress voted to phase out the inefficient incandescent. By 2012, the 100-watt bulb will be history.

In the interim, environmentally-minded folks of all ilks are heralding the bulb. The virtual Stop Global Warming march reminds us swapping out three incandescent bulbs for CFLs will save us 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 a year. The Coalition On the Environment and Jewish Life suggests installing CFLs for Hanukkah as a way to redefine “energy-stretching light” and reflect environmental stewardship. Students in Pennsylvania sell light bulbs instead of candy to raise money for their schools. (Simran prefers candy.)

“…Congress is getting close to passing an energy bill that contains a little-known provision designed to phase out the 125-year-old incandescent light bulb in the next four to 12 years.”

Yeah, yeah. We’ve all heard this one. Change out your incandescents for the more energy efficient CFLs. But how many of you are actually doing it?

Making the switch to CFLs (compact flourescent lamps) will result in noticeable savings in your electricity bill. Plus, they last longer, produce more light, and emit less heat.

Want more good news about CFLs? They come in more than

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