Compact Fluore-Yucky Light Bulbs

I hate fluorescent light bulbs. I know that hate is a strong word and that is why I chose to use it here. I hate them. They cause my brain to buzz like their obnoxious humming ballasts. They cause my eyes to twitch along with their garish, pulsating light. They make me curl my lip up in disgust like their--sorry there is nothing they do that looks like that. I really do hate them.

When we moved into our house here in Atwater, the kitchen had one of those huge, elementary school classroom, fluorescent light fixtures. It had to go. Why would I want that hideous thing lighting up my kitchen. When it got left on and I was sitting in our living room it would shoot it's ugly light directly into my eyes. I would have to go shut it off or have a seizure--either from the light or my own issues with the light. Sadly, almost four years later, it remains. And even more sad than that, almost every light, lamp, and fixture in my home has a compact fluore-yucky light bulb in it.

I told you I wanted to be green. Getting those compact fluore-yucky bulbs is a great first step. They dramatically save on energy and they last for eons--sounds like a great green solution. They are even getting cheaper and cheaper, that's a bonus. And the truth is they are coming out with more and more options for people like me who hate that freakish blue-white light and that vicious humming. Follow this link to find out a little more of the science behind these bulbs. Get to changing your bulbs, it will make a difference!

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

Adventures in "Going Green"

So, we have been trying to get "greener" as they say.

I grew up in Seattle where the green grows between your toes. That could be because of the rain or it could be because of the "tree huggers" that live there. If you lived there you would hug the trees too, so beautiful.

Atwater is brown. Brown in many ways really. We have been in a drought for over three years. Brown. This is really an arid place even though it is one of the highest agricultural centers in the nation--they pipe in the water. Brown. So we are literally brown. But there is also the figurative brown that comes with a small town that doesn't yet have a recycling program or other avenues for cleaning up our act. That doesn't mean these things won't happen, aren't happening or can't happen. Green is coming, whether we like it or not, and I happen to like that squishy green stuff between my toes and running through my veins.

For the next few weeks I will be sharing with you some of our "Adventures in Going Green." I have found that there are lots of little things we all can do that will make a difference and that there are also some big things that cost a lot that we can do if we are willing to sacrifice. I hope you enjoy this little travel log of our adventure. Maybe you too will have a little green between your toes before you know it.