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From Natural Life Magazine, May/June
2007 Q: I keep hearing that various places are going to ban incandescent light bulbs. But I am aware of some problems with those compact fluorescent bulbs that seem to be all the rage right now…and they’re also quite expensive. Could you please sort through the confusion and hype about them and any other possible alternatives? A: Incandescent bulbs are actually small heaters that produce a little light on the side, wasting a lot of energy and creating a lot of pollution. According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, residential, commercial, industrial and municipal lighting uses 22 percent of all the electricity generated. In the U.S. alone, lighting accounts for about 39 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from electric generating plants. So we’re not surprised that many governments are talking about trying to switch consumers from incandescents to other carbon neutral technologies. The primary alternative at the moment does seem to be compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs.) However, while they do save a significant amount of energy – they use approximately one quarter of the energy used by incandescent bulbs – they are far from the perfect alternative that some of the rhetoric might suggest. So we’ll examine both the pros and cons of CFLs, then take a look at some other alternatives. Not Those Buzzing Tubes Those ubiquitous, headache-inducing, glaring and buzzing tubes found in offices and stores have gone compact and – dare we say it? – upscale. And they’ve lost most of their annoying qualities. If you’re lucky, you’ll find compact fluorescents that rival the warm light of traditional bulbs and that don’t buzz. But depending upon where you live, you may need quite a lot of patience and determination, in addition to luck, because the selection can be spotty and not always match your needs. There are large differences in terms of quality of light, cost and turn-on time among different manufacturers, even for bulbs that appear identical. Some of these differences are due to poor manufacturing. Since CFLs are relatively high in cost compared to incandescents, there is an opportunity for marginal manufacturers to sell cheaper, lower quality bulbs. One of the ways that can surface is in the quality of light: Incandescent filaments emit the full spectrum of light, but most fluorescent lamps don’t. Manufacturers must create a mixture of different phosphors in a CFL in order to approximate the warmth of daylight or incandescent light. However, that increases cost, so you might find that the less expensive bulbs emit a colder, more glaring light, which can be inappropriate for some residential uses. Some people worry about the health effects – including fatigue – of living without the full light spectrum. Full-spectrum CFLs are now available, which mimic natural light and have all the energy-saving benefits of regular CFLs. Of course, they are more expensive than regular CFLs. Deciding which one to buy can be a bit tricky. Incandescent bulbs are known by how much power it takes to light them – a 40-watt bulb is on the dim side and uses less power; a 100-watt bulb is bright and uses a lot of juice. Energy-saving CFLs provide much more light per watt. To get a CFL with the right amount of light, choose one that... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's digital edition, which includes access to this and other back issues. Wendy Priesnitz is the Editor of Natural Life Magazine and a journalist with over 30 years of journalism experience. She has also authored nine books. Read her blog. |
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