LEDs and CFLs - Change Your Bulbs

Help save the world! Change your bulbs to compact fluorescent or LED's TODAY! Why? CFLs use about 1/10 the energy as the old time, evil bulbs. LEDs use about 1/10 of the energy as CFLs.

Which is best? It depends. Check out this Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/trulia/2014/04/25/led-vs-cfl-which-bulb-is-best/

Every light changed is a step in the right direction to preserve energy resources and our environment for this generation and the next. Just think, if we changed a bulb for every child in America, this would prevent more than 30 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and save enough energy to light more than 15 million homes for an entire year.

Read "A Compact Fluorescent Truth" - http://www.newenergychoices.org/uploads/CFL%20article.pdf

A great article on CFL's - http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/108/open_lightbulbs.html

A fact sheet from Energy Star -

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

RECYCLE YOUR BULBS AT:

§ My Organic Market

§ HOME Depot

§ IKEA

Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much? CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts. There is currently no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products over the past decade. Really, CFL's actually reduce the amount of mercury in the environment, because even though there’s a tiny amount of mercury vapor in each bulb, the amount of coal production they cut down more than makes up for it. Add to that the hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gases they reduce… (if you had to buy and bring home the gases with each purchase, I think it would make a difference in the relative sales).

Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my home, or should I take any special precautions? CFLs are safe to use in your home. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when used properly. However, CFLs are made of glass tubing and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the lamp from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base, and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket by its tubes. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly using the guidance below.

What should I do when they burn out? Contact Jim Groves at the email above and he will bring them to the recycling center or you can take them to Ikea in College Park where they recycle them FOR FREE!

+ Lighting accounts for 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill and is one of the easiest places to save energy. Simple steps, such as changing a light at home, can save on energy bills while also helping to reduce the risks of global warming. That’s because most electricity in our country is still generated by burning fossil fuels, which releases greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. If just half of all American homes used ENERGY STAR qualified products, and took other steps to save energy, the change would prevent the release of billions of pounds of emissions.

+ The energy used in the average home can be responsible for more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the average car. That’s because most electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, which releases greenhouse gases into our air. By using energy more efficiently at home, less energy needs to be generated by power plants. ENERGY STAR encourages Americans to be aware of their energy use and to start by switching the five lights they use most to ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Lighting

+ Energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures that earn the ENERGY STAR offer the latest in style and convenience, and the quality that consumers expect. They offer warm, bright light with the added benefits of using at least two-thirds less energy than traditional models and lasting up to 10 times longer.

+ On average, each CFL can save more than $30 in electricity costs over the lifetime of the bulb and prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

+ ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and fixtures produce about 70% less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

+ Where to use ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs: To get the most energy savings, replace bulbs where lights are on the most, such as your family and living room, kitchen, dining room, and porch. Place bulbs in open fixtures that allow air flow and, if replacing a bulb operating on a dimmer switch, look for bulbs specifically designed for this use.

+ How to choose ENERGY STAR qualified lighting: To choose the ENERGY STAR qualified light bulb or fixture with the right amount of light, choose one that offers the same lumen rating as the light you’re replacing. Manufacturers will often label their packaging in terms of watt replacement, which can also guide your decision-making.

+ Change 5 lights. If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used lights or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, each home would save about $60 a year in energy costs, and together we’d save about $6.5 billion each year in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from more than 8 million cars.

Energy Hog! A game for kids - click here!

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