Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs  according to the industry and U.S. government’s Energy Star program, which promotes CFL bulbs and other substitutes for energy-hogging incandescent, a CFL uses 75 percent less energy than its incandescent counterpart, lasts up to 10 times longer and prevents more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere. Over its lifetime, a single CFL can save the consumer $80 or more, depending on local electric rates and the climate according to the Environmental Working Group ( a not for profit organization that I used as the source for this entry and a group that I trust for their accuracy). If most of your home uses CFL’s the cost of air conditioning (a BIG issue in Arizona) would also decrease because incandescent bulbs HEAT your home and CFL’s do not!

But all CFL bulbs aren’t equal. Some have lower mercury content than others, and some last much longer. Unfortunately, you can’t tell the best of the best by their labels - or the U.S. government Energy Star logo. Some Energy Star labeled bulbs could not be legally sold in Europe due to excessive mercury content.

An Environmental Working Group investigation has identified 7 bulb lines made by Earthmate, Litetronics, Sylvania, Feit, MaxLite and Philips that trump the rest. These bulbs, listed in our Green Lighting Guide contain a fraction of the toxic mercury allowed by Energy Star, reducing the mercury contamination from a broken bulb. All last 8-15,000 hours, dramatically longer than the Energy Star standard of 6,000 hours, and also offer high efficiency.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)– have not adequately addressed the risks of mercury in CFL bulbs.

PLEASE read the two texts I have hyperlinked BEFORE you buy CFL’s! :

http://www.ewg.org/reports/compact-fluorescent-light-bulbs (A good general discussion about CFL’s which I have used as my primary source of information about these products.)

http://www.ewg.org/greenlightbulbs (The EWG Green Lighting Guide)

http://www.ewg.org/node/27222 (What to do when a CFL breaks. It COULD be a BIG health problem for you and your family if you do not handle this correctly!!!!!)