17 Percent Surveyed Would Skip Sex To Avoid Changing Lightbulbs

CFLs may reduce energy usage and thereby be easier on the planet and my pocketbook, but until they stop producing soul-stealing light, they'll be relegated to my basement. Only the company that can produce warm flourescents that feel like incandescents will truly impact energy usage - and rake in the cash!

The article seems confused about whether CFLs are dimmable--at one point it says that all aren't; at another point it suggests dimming them. The truth is that most are not dimmable but there are some that are. Link from my name is the EDF guide to CFLs' list of dimmable ones.

As for soul stealing, I'd say that if you are lighting with incandescents, burning 60 lbs of coal for each one you use, your soul is already lost.

I don't understand people complaining about the temperature of the light produced by CFLs. If you don't like the bulb, return it to the store you bought if from and try a other brand. That's what I did. I tried about 5 different brands before I found a kind I liked. I that's all I buy. I use Feit Electric CFLs (NOT the "daylight" or "natural light" variety they are WAY to white) as they are VERY similar to incandescent bulb light. I've also found that the color (or shade of color) of the lamp shade also makes a HUGE difference in the color the bulb appears to produce.

If you're too lazy to change a light bulb in the course of 10 years, you don't deserve to have sex, or spread your genes, for that matter.

this whole sex thing is stoooopid nothing to do with cfl's

and btw they DO HAVE warm natural light cfls and have for some time now!

I changed all 60+ lights at my home inside and out upstairs and down with cfls warm ones at that and many were in ceiling so high I had to use a extenda pole to reach them and it only took less than hour

whats the big deal people get off your keesters and do something that makes sense!

I went from using 3,900 watts to 540 watts for the whole house! and theres even more light than before and it looks just fine

Frankly if I had to look at a partner under CFLs I probably wouldn't WANT to have sex with them - they make everybody look like office zombies!

"f you're too lazy to change a light bulb in the course of 10 years, you don't deserve to have sex, or spread your genes, for that matter."

Haha, well said!

The fact of the matter is that this whole green populist idea of changing lightbulbs to save the planet is silly. We're too many people and we live a lifestyle that's wrecking our environment. We can't rely on individuals to fix this problem, it's a governmental problem.

As an Anarchist, I'd have to say that it's both an individual and community problem. I think the problem is exacerbated by the government, particularly the Bush administration. Even the EPA sucks. The problem is that American society just doesn't promote principled thought about our effect on the world. We're pretty selfish and stubborn. Even when we aren't, we can be foiled by others like the government and the media.

...That said, so long as there is a government stealing freedom, they have a responsibility to handle these things effectively.

No Gods. No Masters.

Justice and Peace, friends.

what COLOSSAL losers... such idiots not only don't deserve to spread their genes... but they deserve to have their genes erased off the face of this Earth... losers... lol

I'm still scratching my head on this one. What does abstinence have to do with changing light bulbs? This is a very awkward way of marketing CFLs. It doesn't make me want to buy them. The only rationale I can guess at is that abstinence somehow helps the overpopulation/resource depletion scenario? But then, if I change all my lightbulbs to CFLs, that should more than compensate for the 8 children I plan to have!!!!!! (note sarcasm, please).

This is why you should just do it in the dark.

There has to be a screw in the lightbulb joke here....

-Lego

CFLs are indeed dimmable, however whereas dimming an incandescent will save you electricity, dimming a CFL will not. It still uses just as much.

Upon more thought... These slobs are probably willing to forgo sex because they don't get any anyway... Losers... lol

those bulbs are a joke they are full of mercurcy and the radiation screws with your brain

do what i did and install a skylight! :)
i still use a 100 watt incandescent after dark if i need it but i almost never do, give me a break.
turning off lights is better than using mercury filled crap lights like this. if its inconvenient then GET INCONVENIENCED for the environment and put up with it.

theyre a gimmick thats gonna cause a panic in 10 years when everyone realizes they cant throw them out.

Can we start by addressing some of the Urban Legends?

Myth: CFL bulbs are full of mercury and you can't throw them away and they will kill you, your loved ones and your pets!

Fact: CFL bulbs contain less mercury than would be emitted from the stacks of coal burning power plants over the lifetime of the conventional bulbs they replace. They can be recycled, and almost all cities and municipalities have programs to recycle them. If they are recycled, the mercury is not emitted.

Myth: CFL bulbs look like crap.

Fact: Good CFL bulbs look fine. Get a quality bulb and you will be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Myth: The heat produced by incandescents is a good thing when you live in a cold climate.

Fact: Resistive electric heating is one of the most expensive ways you can heat your house. If you use gas, wood or a heat pump, the heat from your light bulbs costs 4 to 10 times as much as the heat from your heater. Get CFLs and enjoy the savings.

For dimmability see the posts above.

For god's sake, they pay for themselves in savings in less than 2 years. Why are people so resistant to that.

I firmly believe that CFLs are a temporary (and bad) stop-gap before we get to the real alternative lighting from LEDs. CFLs are a poor choice for the environment because of the mercury content and difficult recycling requirements. Unfortunately, by the time LEDs are commercially viable, there will be billions of CFLs in use and then we'll see the real problem as they become deprecated in favour of LED lighting. The incandescent bulb provides very little pollution problem as we exchange them for CFLs. Not the case when we dispose of a multitude of CFLs for LEDs.

I agree that if you are to lazy to change a light bulb you shouldnt be having sex. that is just wrong. im not pro-abstence though.

that's TERRIBLE.
I would never skip sex.

guys, how bout we just remember how much money it saves you in the long run, gas, food, clothes, everything is going up in price, so instead of bitching about it. why not try to save money. its always for the best right?

I have SAD and the quality of light is important to me to stave off depression. Nevertheless, the warm bright bulbs made by GE do just fine by me. I even use them in my bed side lamp, no buzz. And yes, I remember the old ones... but memories of those old problems is not a good enough excuse to find ones you like and change to them!

How about this - I'll change everyone in my neighborhood's frigging bulbs just to GET some sex. I hate posts like this that make it look like people actually have sex! Where's mine?

Maybe there is a hidden point here. Using abstinence during reproductive years in order to not produce offspring would have a much larger impact than changing a few light bulbs.

I use CFL's and the lighting seams just fine. I'd still like sex more often but that ususally is with the lights off anyway.
I want to get an electric car someday and the amount of driving I do would take the energy saving of ~$35 per month so I change enough bulbs and dry my cloths outside and that covers my electric car carbon footprint.
I don't know how the one person can complain about the mercury when a coal plant will produce more to power the old bulb. I like the idea of LCD's but they are still too expensive for me.

about the first comment where someone said

"CFLs may reduce energy usage and thereby be easier on the planet and my pocketbook, but until they stop producing soul-stealing light, they'll be relegated to my basement. Only the company that can produce warm flourescents that feel like incandescents will truly impact energy usage - and rake in the cash!
"

I hated the yellowish light from incansescent bulbs >.

Well, on the other hand, the yellowishlightis good for those romantic times haha.

Have sex in the pursuit of reproduction (limit one offspring per couple.) Then, your offspring can change lightbulbs for you! If you don't succeed, get a golden retriever; they'll do anything for a milkbone.