BoomerGirl Diary

Have you heard the news? Starting this month, Wal-Mart is putting fancy displays in all its stores to encourage 100 million consumers to buy at least one compact fluorescent light bulb as a way to save energy and stop global warming.

What's so great about CFLs? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these energy misers use at least 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light.

Even though they're initially more expensive than a standard bulb, CFLs will save you $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb's lifetime. If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an Energy Star compact fluorescent, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing 1 million cars from the road.

Another terrific benefit? CFLs save time. Because they last 10 times as long as an incandescent, you can literally put them in and forget about them. Some consumers quibble with the millisecond delay it takes for a CFL to light after it's been turned on (a function of its energy-saving technology). I've gotten over it. I also like the different lighting hues many CFLs now offer: daylight, soft white, outdoor, and more.

You don't need to buy your bulb at Wal-Mart to find the CFL that suits you. Lowes sells Sylvania and Bright Effects compact fluorescents. Home Depot offers N:Vision bulbs, in a helpful package that shows you everything you need to know to choose the right bulb for your needs, such as what lighting application it's best for and how much money you'll save during the life of the bulb. Your local hardware store probably carries General Electric, Osram, Philips, or Good Earth compact fluorescents.

Whichever brand you buy, make sure it carries the Energy Star seal of approval. There are many brands of CFLs available. The ones that will save you the most money — and that are the best for the earth — meet the EPA's standards for energy efficiency.

Note: Because CFLs contain very small amounts of mercury, many municipal waste managers require them to be disposed of as hazardous waste when they're finally thrown away. Check your local sanitation guidelines for proper disposal.

The World Women Want offers more energy-efficient lighting information on our Web site.