September 1st 2012
Gel 3100
HW Assignment 1
1. Off shore Drilling or Hydraulic Fracturing 2. In-Situ or Ex-Situ Treatments 3. Hybrid or Electric 4. CFL bulbs or LED lights 5. Water based wood finishes or Solvent based wood finishes
CFL Bulbs or LED lights.
As the world advances day-to-day, awareness for a more environmental friendly living increases. People are starting to realize that the world is literally theirs and their generations to come so now we all want to treat it with a lot more respect. The question that arises frequently is how. How do we know which is better? How do we know which one will save us money and finally how do we know which one actually does help the environment? This is especially the case in deciding which to choose between CFL bulbs and LED lights. They are both essentially better for the environment than the more common incandescent bulbs but which is better compared to the other, well let’s look at the facts. The movement of electrons solely lights LED light bulbs. Unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury or other toxic substances. LEDs are also incredibly energy efficient and use only a fraction of the energy needed to power a single incandescent bulb. In fact, LEDs use 1/50 of the energy of a standard bulb and last 10 times longer than their CFL alternatives. A single LED is rather small, but improvements in technology have allowed for the combination of bunches of LEDs together to create products ranging from flashlights to Christmas lights and lamps. Large groups of LEDs have also been used to replace traffic lights and brake lights in cars. A typical LED bulb can last up to 15 years without needing to be changed! They are not as versatile in traditional light fixtures, however, and are generally more expensive than compact fluorescents. Speaking of CFL’s these bulbs are created by taking a fluorescent tube and bending it into a compact design that fits into normal incandescent fixtures.