Start a revolution for under 20 bucks
Imagine a $3 device that will keep a half-ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere during the course of its life -- while saving you at least $30.
Now install just one of these gizmos in every house in the United States. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR project, this simple change would save enough electricity to light 2.5 million homes for a year and cut greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to nearly 800,000 cars.
The device, of course, is the Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb: simple, inexpensive, and effective. A tool of environmental change.
CFLs: no longer exotic
When compact fluorescents were first introduced to the market a decade or so ago, they weren't much to write home about. Early CFLs sputtered to life slowly, much like their industrial fluorescent tube ancestors. Their light flickered; the ballasts were often to bulky for standard fixtures; and they were expensive. And there was that weird swirl shape. Buyers stayed away in droves.
Fast-forward to the present. Today's CFLs still come in twist-style bulbs, but you can also find them in more conventional shapes. The ballasts finally live up to their "compact" name. Best of all, compact fluorescents are finally priced so competitively that it makes less and less sense to keep purchasing hot, energy-hungry, short-lived incandescent bulbs anymore.
But there's a problem: buyers have long memories, particularly when it comes to first impressions. Just ask master marketer Seth Godin: while CFLs are a smart buy these days, it's difficult to change customer perceptions.
Let's change the game. Rather than trying to convince people to spend their hard-earned money on CFLs, why not give them one for free? If we can take the "purchase" out of "purchase objection," we've gone a long way toward getting consumers to give compact fluorescents a second look.
That's where you come in.
Take Lighter Footstep's CFL Challenge!
Thanks to aggressive initiatives by companies like Wal-Mart, it's not hard to find a great deal on a compact fluorescent lightbulb starter pack. For less than $20, you can pick up a six-pack of 100 watt-equivalent CFLs during the course of a your regular shopping. Keep one for yourself if you've not tried compact fluorescents before: it's the quickest way to make your home more economical and earth-friendly.
As for the others -- give them to family members, friends, or someone at work. One thing which is certain about incandescent bulbs is that the average household replaces several each month. Make it easy for that next change to be a CFL.
Be creative. Individually gift wrap your Challenge CFLs, give them a copy of this article, or handwrite a short note explaining the benefits of compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Then drop Lighter Footstep an email, too.
We'll publish a running list of everyone who takes the CFL Challenge. You can donate in the name of you blog, business, or favorite cause, and we'll be happy to link back to the appropriate website. Its strictly on the honor system -- and our way of saying thanks for caring enough to "shed a little light" on CFLs.
Here's where to reach us:
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Readers have left 7 comments. 1. Untitled
Sonya, Guest One thing to remember: when those CFL bulbs DO burn out (after 5-8 years) they need to be properly RECYCLED/disposed of at a recycling/hazardous waste center in your community. CFL bulbs contain mercury (as do many other household electronics, computers, etc.), a known neurotoxin that is dangerous to everyone but especially pregnant women and children. Breaking a CFL bulb, even in your trash can, endangers your family, sanitation workers, and your immediate environment. So round up your bulbs, incandescent and flourescent, and drop them off at your local disposal center. 2. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Good point, Sonya. CFLs are great, and they're our best bet right now for efficient, low-energy lighting. But until they're displaced by new technologies (such as LED lighting, which is coming), we need to be conscientious about their disposal. I noticed an article today that points out some of the limitations of CFLs: http://blog.jamlab.com/2007/2/20/on-the-subject-of-light Still, CFLs are the easiest, most effective way to reduce your home energy needs. Less energy use at home (or at work) means less carbon going up the smokestack at your local power plant. They're a no-brainer.  3. Untitled
gus, Guest I moved in to a house with one compact twirly number like that recently. It's in my bedroom and you know watt? I can't see my clothes at night properly and the room has an uncomfortable, unhappy glow. Don't like it. And, here's the thing. I'm a total recycler/conserver/bike rider/no car owner/flush at every 3rd pee type. As much as I'd like to, I just can't bring myself to unhappily light up my pad in this way. Unless the glow becomes happier, I won't be buying those soon. As it is, I have an upstairs moronic neighbour I sadly have to share the utility bills with who insists on keeping the furnace auxiliary motor on all the time for his selfish needs, which is so he can heat up roughly 1500 sq ft of a house for his morning showers. I have politely fought it, pointing out how wasteful it was, but to no avail. This, my friends, is the world we live in, including all the well to do SUV type drivers that joyfully clog up the road while I fume on my bicycle, wondering how much longer I can take existence without a car. 4. Untitled
Steph, Guest Not a lot of places in the US have safe disposal for CFLs.  Gus, there are a lot of newer CFLs that offer different "kind" of light, IE, soft white, etc. Check out your local large home improvement center for a good selection. 5. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Unfortunately, you're not alone being disappointed by CFL light. But that's because CFLs are not directly equivalent to incandescent bulbs, no matter what the packaging tells you.
The good news, though, is that CFLs are great once you understand how to make them work for you. You'll need to know a bit about how CFLs radiate light, and how to choose a bulb which won't disappoint.
Check out the "Ultimate guide to living with CFLs" here:
http://lighterfootstep.com/how-to-live-with-cfls.html
Good luck!
6. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Steph: You're right, it's still hard to recycle CFLs. And you can't toss 'em in the trash, since they contain mercury.
Check Earth 911 to see if there's something close to you. Otherwise, store your spent CFLs in a cardboard box. There's demand, so there will be more CFL recycling soon. 7. Untitled
Tex Everett, Guest Unfortunately here in New Zealand, I have tried several different makes of compact fluorescent bulb and they all have the one failing. They last only about a year before expiring. So for the extra expense of purchasing they are not worth it. Also nowhere here at all that I have found for safe disposal of these toxin filled replacement bulbs.
No choice of color temperature available in local shops and supermarkets that I have been able to find
I hear that LED lighting for the home will be available within a few years. Hopefully they will last longer and have a more pleasant light output. |
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