Moose Productions Blog

This article comes in advance of Zac’s piece for TitanTV:

I think it’s safe to say that with concerns about global warming becoming more and more prevalent in our collective consciousness, a lot of environmentally friendly products have popped up in hopes of cornering the Green portion of the marketplace. Nevertheless, most people assume that they are sacrificing something when they buy green, whether in a product’s effectiveness or in the higher cost. In many cases that is unfortunately the case. But as science improves upon these green items and competition forces prices to fall, living green is starting to become less of a hassle.

This got me thinking. Why not help people help the environment by checking some products out for myself and then creating a video piece displaying the strengths and weaknesses of different products? And what better place to start than with a simple household item that we all have in our homes and use everyday…the lightbulb.

For over one hundred years, the tungsten filament has been the workhorse for most standard household bulbs. Recently, however, a new type of bulb has emerged based on the model of the florescent and is starting to become a more attractive option to businesses and residence alike.

These compact fluorescent lamps, or CFL’s, are much more efficient than standard tungsten bulbs, reducing both carbon emissions and the numbers on your electricity bill at the end of the month. They use around one quarter to one fifth of the energy in any given amount of time as do incandescent bulbs and they last on average about ten times longer, leaving you with less work changing out bulbs.

A miracle product, right? Well, unfortunately not yet. There are some significant downsides to these bulbs that are still up for debate. The initial price of these bulbs is much higher than your cheap incandescent, which might make some consumers squeamish to take the plunge. It should be understood, however, that you end up saving an average of thirty dollars over the lives of the CFL bulbs in energy bills and extended bulb life compared to incandescents.

Nevertheless, for people on a budget, it is sometimes hard to think in the long term. Hopefully prices fall faster than they currently are to make up for this concern.

CFLs, like other fluorescents, also contain mercury, a startling fact that should put many on edge. In April of 2007, a cap was set at 5 mg of mercury for most household CFL bulbs. While it is said that this small amount is not harmful if you come into contact with it, one should still use extra caution if handling any broken bulbs. Keep in mind that proper disposal of CFLs implies the same steps as disposal of batteries, thermostats or other hazardous household items. Go to www.earth911.org to find out the disposal options for your area.

Finally, my biggest past issue with CFLs had been their tendency to act way too much like fluorescents and not enough like incandescents. The first CFL I ever screwed into a socket had the unflattering green hue that most classic fluorescents emit. There was also a delay in start up time as it sluggishly buzzed to life, and even then it would take a few minutes for the bulb to get to its proper brightness. This double whammy of disappointment turned me skeptical towards CFLs. After this initial failed experiment, I had stayed far away from all CFLs…until now.

The bulbs that I will be testing are from a new generation of CFLs. In total, there will be seven different bulbs from four different manufacturers, GE, Philips, Sylvania, and Ushio. Four of these will be the said brands ‘twisty’ CFLs that most resemble the light emitted from a 60W incandescent bulb. As a bonus, I’ll be looking at GE, Philips, and Sylvania’s classic bulb models, designed to look like the classic incandescent for those who aren’t ready to furnish their homes with glass that looks like soft-serve ice cream. Anyway, I’m excited about this little experiment and the results so stay tuned.