These aren't your parents' light bulbs!

I know this is a very over discussed topic, but CFLs have come a LONG way. When I first went to CFLs in response to the ever increasing price of electricity, I had to change several light fixtures and switches in my house in order to accept the lights. There were no 3 way CFLs, dimmer CFLs, CFL bug lights or CFL flood lights. All CFLs were the spiral design and they came in 40, 60 and 100 watt light output equivalents. If you were lucky, you might be able to find a daylight style light but that was all the selection you got. Imagine my surprise when just 4 years later as I shopped to replace a burned out CFL I found the huge selection now available. There are bug lights for outside. There are triple tube lights (three arches next to each other) and A shape (look like a tungsten bulb) if you don't like the look of the mini twists. There are chandelier lights, cylinder lights and globe lights for your fancy fixtures, 3 way lights and dimmer lights for your special switches, and even reflector (flood) lights for inside and outside. And they aren't even that expensive! If you've ever purchase specialty lights of the regular high-consumption variety you will be surprised to find this long-lived energy-saving alternative to be quite cost effective. But do they really work? Do they really last as long as the package says and do they really save money? And most importantly are they safe? As a long term user of this type of bulb, I say yes. I remember 4 years ago when my husband first showed me the package of funny looking twists on sale in Home Depot and I asked him the same questions. If they last for 7 years, why is the warranty only for 2, I asked, and what if they explode in my face? Don't they take time to warm up - that's so annoying! And how much energy do we really use in lights anyway? What's $50 over the course of 7 years IF they last that long anyway? Well, I moved once since buying many of them and none of them exploded even with the stress of the move. Not saying you don't have to be careful with them and how you dispose of them, but I am now convinced that they are as safe as the next piece of technology. After 4 years I have all but 2 of the bulbs. One I used outside and it did take time to warm up (I've now replaced it with a bug light that is designed for outside and it works perfectly), and the other was in a high traffic area and it's light output diminshed over time. For having every single bulb in my house converted to CFL, 2 bulbs in 4 years isn't bad. I should also note that you need to be careful to watch how many lumens the light puts out. In many rooms a 40 watt CFL will work just as well as a 60 watt standard light. If you like bright lights, this won't be a problem, but if they bother you, watch out! Just imagine how much less energy we would use as a nation if everyone switched! If we used those savings to eliminate plants dependant on harmful fuels, think of how much greater an effect that would have on the climate.