Pacific Spirit Marine Institute
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
We looked at Wal-Mart’s drive to sell 100 million Compact Florescent Light bulbs by the end of 2008 yesterday. Although these lights have been on the market since 1977 and they produce 450 pounds fewer greenhouse gas emissions than incandescent bulbs why haven’t they taken off?
These bulbs sound like a good idea to me, yet only 6% of homes today are using CFL’s. Saving $30.00 in energy costs over the life of each bulb sounds like a good idea too.
My mother, who grew up during the depression always said, “waste not want not”. These bulbs certainly aren’t wasting any energy. I can still see my mother standing in the middle of my room, pointing a long bony finger at the light burning in my ceiling, asking one of her favorite questions,”did you turn off the light when you left the room?”
Dear mom was by no means a conservationist; she was however highly tuned into conserving her money. Now when I leave a room I always turn off the light.
I like to think I’m a conservationist. I know I do less than some, but I’m pretty sure I do a lot more than others to keep my presence on this earth a small one.
Today I am satisfied to please my mother posthumously. I also enjoy feeling like I’m ’sticking it to the man’ by not paying him unnecessary electricity money and I’m doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint. Besides all that, I’m just plain cheap!
It really isn’t clear to me how much money I’m really going to be saving by using the CFL’s since I’m already a miser in the 3rd degree. I’m not clear on just how many pounds of greenhouse gases my lights are actually contributing to the planet either. Like I said, I’m a tightwad.
There are some drawbacks as well as payoffs in using these CFL’s in spite of their reduced energy use. They contain Mercury.
This begs the question of how much mercury are we going to leave in the landfills when millions of us throw these CFL’s away?
Tomorrow we will look at the mercury and disposal issues surrounding these nifty little money and energy savers!
Labels: CFL's, Compact Florescent Light, Ewaste, Global Warming, Mercury, Toxic Ewaste, Wal-Mart
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
Compact Florescent Bulbs Part II: Are You Shinning Me On?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Why does Wal-mart want to put compact florescent light bulbs into 100 million homes by 2008.
Wal-Mart is hoping its 200 million shoppers will pick up these energy saving bulbs. But, just how much energy do these bulbs actually save?
There are clearly conservation advantages to these lights, though I’ve never looked on Wal-Mart as being a green company concerned with the well being of the communities in which they operate. Compact florescent lights use 75% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs and they last 10 times longer.
The loss of sales of 9 incandescent for every 1 compact florescent (CFL) would give pause to anyone, as jaded as I, when it comes to following the money trail. So what is the pay off for companies such as Wal-Mart that are known for their keen sense of the bottom line?
These CFL’s are 8 times more expensive than incandescents. In spite of this, the consumer would save about $30.00 in energy costs over the life of each bulb. These CFL’s also produce about 450 pounds fewer greenhouse gases.
These bulbs have been on the market for a couple of decades and only around 6% of homes currently use them. They are weird looking, they give off an odd light, and they cost 8 times more than incandescents so it’s no big wonder why, as yet, they haven’t caught on.
The rise in energy costs over the years has created conservation through necessity. Even if some people aren’t taking on the whole global warming, climate change crusade, they are taking up the idea of lowering their monthly energy bills.
We’ll explore this subject more tomorrow. In the mean time,
Turn off those lights when you are out of the room. It will keep you cooler in the summer time too!
Labels: CFL's, Compact Florescent Light, Ewaste, Global Warming, Mercury, Toxic Ewaste, Wal-Mart
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
Wal-Marts Pushing Compact Florescent Light Bulbs…CFL’s
