More on Light bulbs

The porch light currently has a 60-watt incandescent.  The 7-watt LED didn't work well because all the light was directed downward.  A CFL would probably fail because of the cold temperaturers outside.  However, the main problem is that this light often gets left on when we don't need it.  My next project will be to get a similar looking fixture, but with a light and motion sensor to turn it off automatically, for about $30.  A halogen bulb with a little lower wattage would probably last forever.  I could get a fixture for about $120 designed to use an LED bulb, but I think I will take the simpler option.   We have to go down a stairwell to get to the front door, and the LED fixture might not aim the light where we need it. 



The floodlights over the garage have a 50 watt halogen bulb on the left, and a 9 watt LED on the right.  The LED provides a lot of light when you are in the 20 degree beam.  The main problem with this light is that the motion sensor senses motion during a snowstorm and stays on all night. I may look for a better quality sensor, and keep the halogen bulb at least until it needs replacement. 

The wall lights over the kitchen sink are another opportunity to switch to LED.  Two four-watt candle bulb from Earth LED would probably work well in place of the 25-watt incandescents. 

This hall light is one of the few places I have been able to use a CFL.  The glass canopy is attached with three set screws that leave a little air space for ventilation, and it is probably an 11-watt. 

A community's energy use is a product of population times affluence times life style.  Maybe I can make a few life-style changes while I am still relatively affluent.  However, the person with the lowest carbon footprint that I know of is an acerbic, childless spinster who doesn't believe in peak oil or global warming.  However, she lives in a very small apartment and walks almost everywhere because she is allergic to her car.

Light Bulbs and My Carbon Footprint

In the last few weeks, and Especially since the Fukushima disaster, I have thought a little more about how to reduce my energy use.  Light bulbs are one area that I could improve, but it is not simple or easy.  Both of us are getting older, and my wife has very poor low-light vision.   She once brought home a note from her eye doctor saying that I shouldn't make her try to see with CFL bulbs.  In addition, most of our house has enclosed ceiling light fixtures, like these in the kitchen.  I tried using one CFL and one incandescent in each fixture, and didn't get any complaints about the light quality, but the CFL bulbs burned out more quickly than the incandescents, because of the heat buildup.  As it stands, we have four 60 watt bulbs in these fixtures, plus two 25 watt bulbs over the sink for a total of 300 watts to light one 9x12 room.  Eventually, I may want to get rid of these fixtures and put in something with about six LED bulbs, but it will be a hard sell.

I did order four LED bulbs from Earth LED, and got good results in a couple of places.  A 7 watt LED bulb (standard base) works fine in this reading lamp over the computer, and two 6 watt bulbs work fine in the wall sconces over the stairway. 

The 7 watt bulb is acceptable in a hanging lamp in the den, but it is not quite bright enough for me, and I wouldn't think of putting it on my wife's side of the couch.  Here is a comparison.  Just below is the 7 watt LED; below left, a 100 watt incandescent, and below right, a 24 watt CFL globe.  Earth LED makes a dimmable 10 watt bulb which I may try, although one reviewer said it has a cooling fan which makes an audible noise.  It's getting hard to format  the pictures, so I will close this post and continue later. 

Bottled water sales declining

Bottled Water Sales Decline 5.2% in two years.

And some people wonder why.  Well for starters, we are in a recession, and tap water, which is virtually free, is just as good, except in a very few places that have unsolvable mineral pollution problems.  In fact, one brand of bottled water, Aquafina, is tap water. 

And it takes a huge amount of oil to bottle and ship water in plastic containers.  Plus, the plastic bottles themselves are made from petrochemicals.  This hastens the day when we will really have an oil shortage.  It also puts huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the air.  bottled water and energy  I have posted posted previously my objections to the proposed water rights ordinance in Mount Shasta.  But one provision that I could wholeheartedly support is the prohibition on selling water from the city springs and wells to a bottling company.  A bottling plant may seem like a good idea to a depressed community, but the long term prospects for this kind of business will not be good when gasoline and diesel prices reach the $6 to $8 dollar per barrel range.  The "obstructionists" in McCloud might seem pretty reasonable if the water business dries up in 10 years or so.  And if it is getting warmer in California, it will also get much more dry.  The water supply from our local springs is likely to be greatly diminished.  
Maybe one of the simplest things we could do to reduce our carbon footprint is to require all gas stations and fast food restaurants to provide free tap water, and tax bottled water.