Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb, patented in 1880, was the mainstay of lighting for over a century.  It changed the way the world worked and lived… and destroyed a lot of sleep in the process.  For the past decade, though, a quiet revolution in lighting has taken place.  LEDs, light-emitting diodes, are the most efficient lights on the market, even better than CFLs, compact fluorescent lights.  LEDs use up to 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last up to 25 years.  Switching to LEDs as a nation would mean we could save some $14 billion annually and cut the equivalent of emissions from seven million cars.  On average, every household would save about $100 a year in electricity bills.  Upfront costs tend to be higher, but that is changing as technology improves and options expand.  Savings would accrue immediately.

What we can do:

• If we haven’t already, replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs, especially in our lights most used, such as in halls and kitchens.
• If we’re replacing CFLs, make sure these are recycled appropriately, because they contain traces of mercury (Home Depot, for example, will take our old CFLs).