Say goodbye to traditional light bulbs and hello to a more energy-efficient future.
An energy bill signed into law by Pres. Bush in December 2007 will phase out Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb by 2012.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 calls for bulbs to use 25 percent to 30 percent less energy for the same amount of light.
Most bulbs that currently meet those standards are compact florescent bulbs, which use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But the bright idea is no shock to those who have already implemented the more energy-efficient bulb.
Mark McVay, associate director of the housing facilities and operations at Tech, said residence halls began replacing incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs about a year ago in the Wall and Gates residence halls.
Currently, all but Horn and Knapp residence halls use the more energy-efficient bulb, but both will be receiving the bulbs this fall.
"We decided to go with compact florescent bulbs because a 26 watt bulb puts out the same light as a 100 watt bulb," McVay said. "It's about one-fourth of the energy for the same amount of light."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that if every American home replaced one light bulb with a compact florescent bulb, it would save enough energy to light more than three million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gasses equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
During the last five years, Tech has made several efforts to switch from incandescent lighting to compact fluorescent lighting.
"We tried to hit every building we've got," said David Bradshaw, engineering services manager at the Texas Tech Physical Plant.
Bradshaw said fluorescent tube-shaped bulbs in classroom light fixtures also have been updated to more efficient models of the fluorescent bulbs.
However, there has been some concern about the health and environmental impact of elemental mercury found in compact florescent light bulbs.
Mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and unborn children, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Mercury is an essential part of what makes the light bulbs work and no mercury is released when the bulbs are intact.
Fortunately, the amount of mercury is considered small - about 4 milligrams.
And if the bulbs break, the amount that would end up in the air as vapor is lower than the amount of mercury exposure permitted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's industry standards.
However, exposures for children or pregnant women should be limited to lower levels.
"These are occupational standards," said George Cobb, an environmental toxicology professor at Tech. "There are different sensitivities and different people have different reactions."
He said, as long as safety precautions are taken, cleaning up a broken compact florescent light bulb should not be a problem for the average person.
Matt Roe, environmental protection manager at Tech, said the real concern is when these smaller amounts of mercury combine.
"From a single light bulb, there is not a sufficient amount of mercury to cause concern," he said. "The real concern is when you bulk the light bulbs together in a landfill.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that if all 290 million compact florescent light bulbs that were sold in 2007 ended up in a landfill instead of being recycled, then it would add about 0.13 metric tons, or 0.01 percent, to U.S. mercury emissions caused by humans.
The agency reported that the main source of mercury emissions caused by humans comes from coal-fired electrical power.
Thus, using energy-efficient bulbs that require less electricity and then recycling the florescent bulbs is the most effective way to maximize mercury savings and avoid health risks.
Penny Morin, customer service supervisor for Lubbock's solid waste department, said the city will begin a monthly drop-off program for household hazardous waste later this year.
Currently, individuals in Lubbock can take their unbroken compact florescent bulbs to any Home Depot location.
Jennifer King, Home Depot spokesperson, said the hardware store began accepting bulbs in June as an added convenience for customers, but they accept bulbs purchased at other stores.
"Recycling them properly helps protect both the environment and people," King said. "They should not be thrown out with regular trash."
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