Wal-Mart Is Pushing Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

While we all know from reading the internets that Wal-Mart is irredeemably evil, the world's largest retailer has committed to get compact fluorescent lightbulbs into 100 million homes this year. CFLs are found in only 6% of households today. These energy-saving bulbs use 75% less electricity than incandescents and produce far less greenhouse gas to manufacture and use. Wal-Mart seems determined to use its marketing prowess to do what hasn't successfully been done in the CFL's 25-year history: to convince consumers to pay more upfront for large savings over the product's lifetime.

How many soulless corporate juggernauts...

[exploder]

...does it take to change your light bulbs?

Three...

[KingSkippus]

One to screw it in the socket, and two to lock the employees of the store that sold it in for the night [nytimes.com].

External Ambience lighting

[symbolset]

I find that with my solar powered walkway lights, CF porchlights and the 1KW sodium (security) lamp over the driveway, I can afford to completely prevent my neighbors' kid from using the telescope he got for Christmas.

Re:Women do not like them

[symbolset]

Seriously, where are we supposed to find these "women"? Are they over on Usenet? Fark? Digg? Homestarrunner? Where?

you've got this all wrong

[commodoresloat]

It's not that Walmart is suddenly "good" for selling compact fluorescent bulbs.

It's that compact fluorescent bulbs are now irredeemably evil.

Less AM Stress

[soloport]

At 6AM in the morning, the delay is a welcome "feature".

Re:Fluorescent Lights Damage Books

[Ranger]

Most Wal Mart customers don't read much anyway. So for them it's not a problem.

Re:Less AM Stress

[EvanED]

At 6AM in the morning

A little redundant, wouldn't you say? As opposed to the 6AM in the evening? ;-)

Re:Plop

[Majik Sheff]

Clearly this is a move by WalMart to boost its holdings in the waning mercury market.

Re:Women do not like them

[vga_init]

That's because they're brighter (the CFL--not the woman). We know from experience that women find these two things odious:

1. Seeing themselves.
2. Being seen by others.

Most women expend incredible amounts of time and effort to avoid being seen, either by altering their appearance cosmetically to mask or otherwise obfuscate their features or by insisting that you turn the lights off during sex.

When confronted by a well lit area, a reasonably intelligent woman, upon realizing that you installed the new light, will complain that she "doesn't like the way it throws off light," thereby marrying her distrust toward optical clarity with her natural prejudice against new technology.

Re:Less AM Stress

[pla]

At 6AM in the morning, the delay is a welcome "feature".

I think those who modded this as "funny" rather than "insightful" either don't use CFLs, or don't get up before dawn.

As someone who does both, I have to agree fully with you. That minute or so while the older CFLs (I don't see either the delay or the gradual increase in brightness in newer ones) ramp up to full light really makes getting up a lot easier on the eyes.

Before I changed over, I remember as my very first choice of the day, did I want to stumbling around in the dark or squint for the first five minutes after turning on the lights?

I think I will really miss that feature, once I can no longer get CFLs with what so many people choose to call a "flaw". Jeezus, folks, not like you need to enter a room and have enough light to perform brain surgery in under 2 seconds...

Re:Brilliant!

[jrumney]

Heat is heat, its all kinetic energy.

Obviously you are very knowledgeable on the subject, using big words like that.

Re:Brighter CFLs would attract more buyers

[MightyYar]

Break them open first to release the mercury vapor. Then they aren't toxic anymore and you can just throw them away! :)

Re:Brilliant!

[kurtis25]

To compensate for the light delay I show up 2 seconds late to work everyday day and exclaim, "darn lights didn't work I couldn't see anything." So far it's been 2 months and no one has noticed that I've skimped total of 1 minute and 20 seconds of work.

Re:They is good!

[bill_mcgonigle]

Of course here in So Cal we don't get many, er, elements. Hey, how's that weather, Colorado?

Busy making your water so you don't die.

Re:OT: Electric heat.

[Suidae]

You feel a lot more comfortable if you have warm feet, even if the actual room-temperature is slightly lower than normal

I noticed this too. Instead of installing underfloor heating everywhere I just spent $10 on some nice slippers.