Green Engineer

My husband is green!!

No, no…not to worry, he’s not sick. Nor has he turned into the green-eyed monster of jealousy. The green he has become is more of the pro-environmental, anti-global warming kind. This is really a brightly colored feather in his cap, especially when you take a look around and almost everyone has started to become more “Green”. But how is it like to actually live with a green Engineer?

Life is great,if you like living under the watchful eye of the world’s self-proclaimed protector. One of the unspoken rules of our house is that if there is any sign of daylight out there, there is no need for us to turn on any of those dinosaur-aged incandescent light bulbs and waste those watts. But then, if we don’t use them up, how will they burn out in order for us to replace them with the newer, better, energy-efficient CFLs? So, you see, we are definitely caught in one of those Catch 22s.

You know, when you really sit down and think about it, the benefits of using CFL’s are tremendous. These cute little curlicues of the light bulb family will reduce 90% of the energy released and wasted as heat in our dinosaur bulbs. Our electricity bill will also be reduced by about 65%. CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent.

Remember burning your tender digits when you had to change one of those burned out bulbs? Yeah, well you won’t have to worry about that here. Another plus is that CFL’s come in different tints such as soft or warm white that more or less matches the glow of the ILB.

But…yes, there is always a “but”. Along with the sweet, there is also some salt. CFL’s contain a tiny bit of mercury (no, I haven’t measured it) which we know to be a substance that we should not play with. You shouldn’t worry about it though, as long as you don’t drop it. If that should happen, don’t panic. You would have had more trouble underfoot if you dropped a regular household thermometer.

Ok, here’s where it hits home. You have to understand that I’m a girl….fine, an older version of a “girl”….who likes to at least look a bit decent before heading out the door. Did you know CFL's, when first turned on, look a bit dim? They take about 2 to3 minutes to warm up and should be left on for at least 15 minutes. I have to admit that I have been spoiled when it comes to light bulbs. Ever since I could remember when I turned on the switch, there was…..WOW – there was light….not candlelight! Ever tried putting on mascara in candlelight? Not pretty….not at all pretty…not to mention dangerous. Oh, don’t forget the cost. But wait, although they are a bit more expensive than their counterpart, you save money in the long run because. That’s probably because CFLs use 1/3 of the electricity and last up to 10 times as long as ILB’s. So, I guess that’s not really a flaw, huh?

But all things considered, the benefits do outweigh the negatives. Ok, ok so my husband makes his point in conserving energy and being socially responsible. So, let’s recap – CFL’s are efficient, less expensive, pollution is reduced and it’s versatile. I guess, we owe it to Mother Earth to do whatever little part we can in helping her survive.

PS:
Don’t forget to dispose of the old and broken CFL’s through your community hazardous waste program!

GO GREEN!