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April's Green Challenge: Socket to me

In theory, I should all have a CFL in every light fixture that I own ... but I don't. I have no good reason except that I haven't gotten around to it and I feel silly tossing a perfectly good light bulb. Did I happen to mention that I have ten foot ceilings and dragging that ol' ladder out is just too much of a bother? I have plenty of excuses. We all do and that's why I am starting the Green Challenge.

Every month I am going to make one small alteration to make my life more green. Rather than overwhelming myself and becoming discouraged to the point of burnt out, I'm going to tackle green living bit by bit. But here's the fun part: I want you to join me.

At the beginning of every month I will lay out the challenge and once the month is complete, I'll check back and say how it went. As a participant I'd love to hear your comments and tips. If you have any photos you'd like to share, that's even better!

You may have guessed this month's challenge: Change one incandescent bulb in your home to an Energy Star qualified CFL. It's that easy ... do this one little task and you will have nothing more to think about for the next four weeks. Not to mention, that bulb is going to pay for itself over the years that it is at your service.

The best place to switch would be in a room that you use frequently. The kitchen might be a better choice than a closet for example. However, if you are reluctant to get started, the closet is better than nothing!

CFL fun facts:

  • Incandescent bulbs can reach up to 350 degrees; CFLs go as high as 90 degrees.
  • CFLs use about 75% less energy than conventional bulbs.
  • Although their price tag is higher, CFLs pay for themselves in savings.
  • CFLs come in many different shapes and sizes making it easy to switch just about every light you own.
  • If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Take the challenge. It's the only way to keep me honest. I'll be checking in throughout the month to document my progress.

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