I'm not much for resolutions... not good at making them and even less good at keeping them. But I ran across an article today that has me tempted to try again. Anyone care to join me?
One problem with a power saving suggestion in the article, however. While it's true that the new fluorescent light bulbs save a considerable amount of energy, they also contain mercury - which can be a problem in the environment when the bulb is disposed.
I have a suggestion to add to theirs concerning junk mail waste. You know all those annoying little advert inserts that are sent inside the envelopes with bills? Don't throw them away! Stick them inside the return envelope along with your check and send it all right back at them. Bwah ha ha ha! ;)
You are correct about the mercury problem. I read just this morning (maybe NY Times?) that Walmart is making a big push on these bulbs and also that they are looking into better disposal plans - i.e. collecting them at the stores for recycling.
Walmart has a lot of weight to throw around - would be nice to see them get behind a worthy goal such as this.
I'm not a fan of Walmart, as I like to do my shopping where one can go from one side of a store to the other without wishing I was wearing rollerskates!:)The "Super Walmarts" take up a city block of space, it seems.
I have to admit that Walmart does do a lot of good for many. I was particularly impressed with their generosity in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Walmart bears a lot of unfair attacks because they refuse to be bullied into submission by the greedy union leaders who would like nothing more than to add union dues from employees of the nation's largest private retailer to their coffers.
Good for Walmart. If they can find a way to safely dispose of the bulbs, more power to them.
It may just be my skeptical mind, but I find that the bulbs dim in brightness after the first few weeks.
Hey did you notice that, too? The builbs get a litle dim and when you turn them on they take a millisecond to fire up, strange. I have noticed that there are two varietes of fluorescent "socket" bulbs, too: cheap and good. The cheap ones burn up fast, not good. The good ones were all made by (gosh I hate to say this) GE. No telling which one is worse in the mercury department.
Believe it or not, the best time to plant veggies down here is right now, barring a major freeze. Plant some patio tomatoes and stuff now. Radishes and lettuce are quick, tomatoes take about 70-80 days from seed to picking. Parsnips, I need some of those, too. Ladies and gentlemen, fire up your starter pots and seed gardens! See you at the Spring Plant Swap later ...
Gees I haven't thought about lightbulbs in -- well, it isn't something I spend much time pondering. And then just a few minutes ago one f the lightbulbs in the ceiling fan fixture above my dining table just exploded. Literally. Hot fragments of glass all over the kitchen and sleeping dogs. Too weird.
Anyone know how to unscrew an exploded bulb? I have some of those flourescent bulbs that I bought ions ago and even forgot I had until today.
and an editorial on the same subject today: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/opinion/03wed3.html?th&emc=th
When I turned on the light this morning another bulb went flying. That's two in less than 24 hours. Both broken so now I have two partial bulbs I need to figure out how to extract.
I am not a fan of those screw in fluorescent light bulbs. They are not as bright as advertised nor do they last as long as a good reveal bulb at a fraction of the price.
As to your query Sandy, I turn off the circuit breaker and as good measure the light switch, then use needle nose pliers to grip the edge of the bulb base and unscrew it. This will work, just be careful with residual glass shards still in the base.
Thanks to all who helped with the bulb thing. Amazin' dropped by this morning and solved that little problem for me.
MLeahy - best of luck on joining the unhooked generation ;-) It has been almost exactly four years for me and I can't even begin to tell you what a good thing it proved to be. I get fewer colds, I have increased lung capacity -- and losing that stink that was my constant companion for about 25 years might be the best benefit of all.
Great website with info on the cf bulbs - http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=633&campaign=mts&fixture=0&shape=0&color=0&brightness=0&feature1=1
I have four installed on my ceiling fan light and am very pleased with the amount of light they put out. They do take a second or two to come on, but that bothers me not one iota.
11 Comments:
Great idea, I like it!
One problem with a power saving suggestion in the article, however. While it's true that the new fluorescent light bulbs save a considerable amount of energy, they also contain mercury - which can be a problem in the environment when the bulb is disposed.
I have a suggestion to add to theirs concerning junk mail waste. You know all those annoying little advert inserts that are sent inside the envelopes with bills? Don't throw them away! Stick them inside the return envelope along with your check and send it all right back at them. Bwah ha ha ha! ;)
You are correct about the mercury problem. I read just this morning (maybe NY Times?) that Walmart is making a big push on these bulbs and also that they are looking into better disposal plans - i.e. collecting them at the stores for recycling.
Walmart has a lot of weight to throw around - would be nice to see them get behind a worthy goal such as this.
I'm not a fan of Walmart, as I like to do my shopping where one can go from one side of a store to the other without wishing I was wearing rollerskates!:)The "Super Walmarts" take up a city block of space, it seems.
I have to admit that Walmart does do a lot of good for many. I was particularly impressed with their generosity in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Walmart bears a lot of unfair attacks because they refuse to be bullied into submission by the greedy union leaders who would like nothing more than to add union dues from employees of the nation's largest private retailer to their coffers.
Good for Walmart. If they can find a way to safely dispose of the bulbs, more power to them.
It may just be my skeptical mind, but I find that the bulbs dim in brightness after the first few weeks.
Hey did you notice that, too? The builbs get a litle dim and when you turn them on they take a millisecond to fire up, strange. I have noticed that there are two varietes of fluorescent "socket" bulbs, too: cheap and good. The cheap ones burn up fast, not good. The good ones were all made by (gosh I hate to say this) GE. No telling which one is worse in the mercury department.
Believe it or not, the best time to plant veggies down here is right now, barring a major freeze. Plant some patio tomatoes and stuff now. Radishes and lettuce are quick, tomatoes take about 70-80 days from seed to picking. Parsnips, I need some of those, too. Ladies and gentlemen, fire up your starter pots and seed gardens! See you at the Spring Plant Swap later ...
-Sammie
Gees I haven't thought about lightbulbs in -- well, it isn't something I spend much time pondering. And then just a few minutes ago one f the lightbulbs in the ceiling fan fixture above my dining table just exploded. Literally. Hot fragments of glass all over the kitchen and sleeping dogs. Too weird.
Anyone know how to unscrew an exploded bulb?
I have some of those flourescent bulbs that I bought ions ago and even forgot I had until today.
Call and we'll fix. See:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/business/02bulb.html
Sorry, links don't work auto here but it a NY Time article about fluoro bulbs.
s
and an editorial on the same subject today: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/opinion/03wed3.html?th&emc=th
When I turned on the light this morning another bulb went flying. That's two in less than 24 hours. Both broken so now I have two partial bulbs I need to figure out how to extract.
Very weird.
Happy New Year!
I am not a fan of those screw in fluorescent light bulbs. They are not as bright as advertised nor do they last as long as a good reveal bulb at a fraction of the price.
As to your query Sandy, I turn off the circuit breaker and as good measure the light switch, then use needle nose pliers to grip the edge of the bulb base and unscrew it. This will work, just be careful with residual glass shards still in the base.
Regards- MLeahy
BTW, my new years' resolution, I am on my third day without cigarettes. Wish I had done this twenty three years ago....
Regards- MLeahy
Thanks to all who helped with the bulb thing. Amazin' dropped by this morning and solved that little problem for me.
MLeahy - best of luck on joining the unhooked generation ;-) It has been almost exactly four years for me and I can't even begin to tell you what a good thing it proved to be. I get fewer colds, I have increased lung capacity -- and losing that stink that was my constant companion for about 25 years might be the best benefit of all.
You can do it! -sf
Great website with info on the cf bulbs - http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=633&campaign=mts&fixture=0&shape=0&color=0&brightness=0&feature1=1
I have four installed on my ceiling fan light and am very pleased with the amount of light they put out. They do take a second or two to come on, but that bothers me not one iota.
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