We are constantly discovering more astonishing truths about the environmental repercussions of living wasteful lifestyles. The national perspective regarding waste, recycling and energy use is undergoing a drastic transformation as citizens come to the realization that we do not have unlimited resources to sustain future generations. The effort to reduce our collective ecological footprint on earth is a matter of each person taking responsibility for their own consumption, rather than only a few citizens making enormous changes. One simple action we can all take to contribute to a cleaner future is instituting energy efficient solutions for home lighting.

Standard incandescent light bulbs, while initially cheap, have high lifetime operation costs and produce excessive energy waste. Incandescent bulbs only use a small fraction of the energy they consume to produce light, and give off heat that wastes a majority of the consumed energy. The easiest and most affordable action you can take to save energy and money is replacing all incandescent bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs. Fluorescent tube lights have long been used for commercial and industrial applications, but their miniature counterparts are revolutionizing our ability to reap the benefits of energy efficient lighting in standard light fixtures. While initially priced higher than incandescent bulbs, CFLs consume only about a third of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs and can last up to ten times longer! New technology also gives us the option between a CFL in cool white, which appears like the fluorescent lighting to which we are accustomed, or in a warm white, which looks the same as the light produced by an incandescent bulb.

Installing light fixtures with dimming capability is a more involved way to conserve the energy your home uses for lighting. The ability to adjust the level of light in a room gives you the flexibility of using only necessary energy, thus reducing your negative contributions to the environment. Fluorescent lights are now available with three level dimming capabilities, so you can optimize your energy conservation by instituting both fluorescent lighting technology and light dimming elements into your home.

Using smart, energy efficient lighting in your home will save more than money. By consuming less energy, you will reduce the amount of harmful carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide and nuclear waste that you would otherwise contribute to the atmosphere. Regardless of the extent of modifications you undertake in your home, every small effort is a part of a vast paradigm shift that will enable us to leave behind a cleaner, safer environment for future generations.