This past Tuesday, workers removed the last remaining incandescent bulbs in Grand Central and replaced them with compact fluorescent bulbs — thus officially completing the transition to "greener" lighting that began in the mid-1980's. The last remaining bulbs were on one of the ten 96-year-old Beaux-Arts chandeliers hanging in the main lobby...
So how much money will switching to CFL's save? Accroding to Marjorie S. Anders, a spokeswoman for Metro-North Railroad, replacing the roughly 4,000 bulbs in the public areas of the terminal will save an estimated $200,000 a year.
Read the whole article at The New York Times.
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I have two problems with CFLs.
First, they contain mercury, which makes disposing of them more difficult than simply throwing them in the trash. They may be energy efficient, but they certainly aren't as environmentally friendly as they could be.
Second, the average spiral CFL is just plain ugly. I can't tell if Grand Central is using bulbous or spiral ones, but the average CFL just sticks out, especially in an older building. Yes, those kind of things matter to me.
So, find a way to not make them in China, find a way for them to not be ugly, and find a way for them to function without mercury, and I'll invest in them.
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