Late last year I was talking to one of the girls. I didn't want to take the freebie (or six) if I couldn't use it and I remembered hearing that CFL's aren't as good in rooms where you switch them on and off all the time like bathrooms. Girl didn't know anything about that but she then said you can't use them with dimmers. Well, we've got lots of dimmers. I asked if I could buy dimmable CFL's anywhere and was told no such thing. Checked at the local lighting store and got the same advice, no such thing.

Soon after, I saw dimmable CFL's mentioned on GW. Back to the lighting store to find out when they might be available in Australia. The version this time was yes, they were available for a while but have been banned because they're not certified for sale. Huh?

Got more info from GW and other sources. The manufacturer said they've had them here for more than a year. Went back to the store. They had them. I asked why they didn't have them, or find out about them, when I asked a few months ago. Answer was they're new, just became available.

Rang organisation that runs the give-aways to let them know dimmable CFL's can now be purchased so maybe they could let people know. After all the point of what they do is to promote being green.

The give-away people were at the local shops again the other day. I asked about dimmable CFL's. They don't give them out but were able to say that they can be purchased. They found out a couple of weeks ago at another shopping centre. When I said I let their organisation know a couple of months ago they got very defensive. Excuse was that they aren't a lighting store so they aren't experts. When I pointed out that if they are funded by the government to promote green living they should know a bit about it, they got very nasty.

Just needed to vent. People like that do the environment a disservice. I wonder how many people threw out CFL's that proved to be incompatible with their dimmers, or went away believing that they couldn't get suitable CFL's. And if the people who get government funding to spread the green word are ignorant and disinterested about this, what else are they doing in a half-baked way. Doesn't do anything for their credibility in my eyes.

This will result in:

$12 million in savings in annual energy costs
Reduction of 196 million lbs of CO2 emissions - the equivalent of removing
over 70,000 cars from American highways.

*While supplies last and within the 48 contiguous states*

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html

Have you heard about their new "green" labeling and Eco campaigns? That company has been in so much trouble over various practices. Hopefully these labels will be accurate and informative, and not mislead well-intentioned consumers -- or turn them away. Maybe we can all try to keep an eye out.

The CFL give-away people are saying you can dispose of old CFL's in your regular bin. The amount of mercury is less than in an incandescent light bulb. Anyone heard anything like this? I don't remember ever hearing that incandescents contain mercury.

I've been interested in environmental issues for about twenty years. Lately it has become fashionable. In some ways that's making things easier for me but in other ways it's not. A lot more information out there, a lot more products. A lot more research.

When we were looking for a new house we saw a couple advertised as solar- passive. One was tri-level with the two storey side almost all glass, the other was single level with lots of glass along one side. They had the "solar-passive look" that's for sure. One faced east, the other west. I don't take the realtor's word for it, I carry a compass.

I think we are at a turning point. We can take it seriously or we can indulge in a feel-good exercise. When people who make a profit or are funded by our taxes to spread the environmental message treat it as a fashionable feel-good exercise I am concerned.