Exchanging your old, incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents (CFLs) is probably one of the simplest things you can do to reduce your own personal consumption of energy. CFLs are readily available, reasonably priced, and newer versions have a much warmer light than the older-style CFLs. Some people worry about their safety, however, since the bulbs contain a small amount of mercury. As this article from Slate points out, we have little to fear from CFLs in our homes. If one does break, you simply need to follow a few simple steps.

But eventually, these long-lasting light bulbs will wear out, and tossing them into the trash just isn't a good idea, environmentally. Though the bulbs only contain about 1% of the mercury found in old-fashioned thermometers, over time, millions of light bulbs in landfills translates to too much mercury. Good recycling programs aren't in place yet (though I'm hopeful that they will be in the not-too-distant future), but until then, there are a few places you can go. You can search for a local CFL recycling program at Earth911, or you can take the bulbs to your local Ikea store. Finally, you can mail them to Recycle Pak.

It's a little extra effort, but your grandchildren's grandchildren will thank you!

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Are you using CFLs -- compact fluorescent lamps/lightbulbs? If not, read this -- pronto! And if you're one of the millions who've made the switch to super-efficient, low-energy bulbs, here's a tip: You can save even more energy by installing dimming swtiches in rooms where it's appropriate -- the dining room and den, for instance. That way, the bulbs don't have to be on full-force whenever they're turned on, though you can choose to have them on high when you need more light.

Doing this could potentially save quite a bit of energy. For example, if you reduce your lights by 25%, you save 25% more energy than you would if you has regular swtiches and so on.

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I wasn't overly impressed when my landlords first installed swirly-shaped light bulbs in my place a couple of years ago. They took a long time to turn on, and when they did, they didn't produce the amount of light that I was used to. But over time, I've gotten used to them. Well sort of -- I switched back to an incandescent bulb in the kitchen and the bedroom, the two places where I really needed -- okay, wanted -- brighter light.

My boss recently brought to my attention this article by Alice Hill, which is powerfully titled '10 Reasons Why CFLs will Change the World.' It's a pretty bold statement, but according to the article CFLs have a pretty bold impact on the environment. The statistics are pretty staggering: if every American changed one of their incandescent bulbs to a CFL, it would save enough power to light the entire city of Philadelphia, or even the country of Estonia! Wow. Yes, CFLs are expensive, but according to the article, they can last up to 10 years.

I'm impressed. What about you?

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