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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Using an electric dryer to do your laundry can account for as much as 10% of your home's energy needs, but believe it or not many Homeowner's Associations across the country don't allow the line-drying of clothes outside. They put clotheslines in the same category as many other commonly regulated items like rusted or non-working vehicles sitting in driveways or on lawns. Alex Beam, of The International Herald Tribune, reports that hanging laundry outside can supposedly drop a property's value by as much as 15 percent. Seriously? Well so many Homeowner's Associations think so that such a thing as a "right to dry" laws exist in Florida and Utah -- protecting people's right to dry their clothes outside.

The most commonly sited reason for why line-drying is so objectionable seems to be the idea of underwear hanging out in public for everyone to see. But still, regulating something so basic, simple, and energy-saving seems a bit ridiculous to me. What's next? Rules on what kind of clothes you can wear while walking your dog on the community sidewalk? Let's not get carried away -- this is still America, after all.

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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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