OK - first things first - lamps light and bulbs grow but of course we all know the things as "lightbulbs"

These are standard GLS lightbulbs - we have had them for donkey's years - GLS is simply an acronym for General Lighting Service but now they are being phased out. 

From the 1st of September the EU (which includes us whether we like it or not) began the phase out of the 100W and frosted incandescent lightbulbs.  The intention of this legislation is to reduce energy consumption across Europe thus cutting carbon emissions.

Given that over 90% of the energy we put into one of these lightbulbs comes out as heat not light this is a good thing because let's face it - they are not exactly energy effective unless of course you particularly enjoy warming your house or office by means of tiny glass radiators!

So of course the question now arises - what do we replace lightbulbs with? 

And the obvious answer (that a surprisingly large number of people I meet are still not putting into practice) is compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's). 

Why are these things still not the norm?  Well over the last few years I have compiled some of the CFL urban myths so let's explode a few of them here and now.....

"They are very expensive" - not really.  You can get low energy lamps from as little as 50p and even the good ones are usually under £5 and given that most of them will save you £3 - £6 per lamp they will pay for themselves over their life-time.

" They don't fit my lamp" - oh yes they do!  There is a CFL replacement for any standard GLS on the market and whilst some of them are long and/or bulky if you buy from a reputable supplier they will ensure you get the size of lamp you need.

"They don't last very long" - a CFL from a reputable supplier will give you at least 8,000hours and there are several long life versions that offer 15,000hours.  When you compare this to the typical 1,000hours from a GLS I think you can see that this argument doesn't stack up.

"They take a long time to warm up" - aye in the old days maybe but modern CFL's nearly all come on at full output pretty much instantly and certainly after a few seconds will be at maximum brightness.

"They are very dull" - clearly there is an answer to that one!  However, if you find your CFL is not bright enough then you have probably been using the manufacturers standards - I personally take these with a pinch of salt.  Look at the table and go up one or even two grades so if you find an 11W doesn't replace a 60W (and I agree with you) use a 15W or even 18W instead - you are still saving over 70% .

"I can't recycle them because of the mercury" - ALL local councils now provide recycling facilities for CFL's and some retailers take them back also - check if you have a WEE Levy included in your receipt as that is a recycling charge being levied by your supplier!  And as for the mercury - recent research indicates that the amount of mercury contained in a CFL is less than would be released to the atmosphere from a coal-fired generator producing enough electricity to run a GLS lamp over its typical 1,000hour life - so it's swings and roundabouts.  If you don't smash it then the mercury can't escape and if you do smash it the government have produced a very help guide to the safe disposal of the remains.....www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/products/lightbulbs.htm

OK so the above does not answer all of the questions I ever get asked but it certainly addresses the most common ones and if you have any more please feel free to email me so I can do my best to allay your concerns. 

Wind Turbines

Love 'em or hate 'em they are here to stay - so my message to you is embrace the turbines - not literally of course - could be dangerous - but figuratively and emotionally.  Don't side with the nimby's of this world and - if I may coin a new acronym - don't side with the niseby's ("not in someone else's back yard") because they really annoy me.

I live in Scotland and love it's scenic grandeur, it's unspoilt wide open spaces etc etc - but, let's be honest about this, we have a resource - a very valuable resource in the wind (and waves) that races across the hills and glens and I believe that we should use it to our profit and to the good of the country as a whole.

What annoys me are the do-gooders who don't live here but want to protect our countryside for their rambling pleasure - or worse so that they can drive through it and not be hampered by views of wind turbines. 

The wind is here to stay - and we should use it wholesale.  Let's look at an example - the proposed wind farm in Lewis on the Arnish Moor which has now been rejected.  I've been to Lewis and seen the moor and yes it is beautiful - bleak and rugged and home to some birds but come on - how many people would have benefited from the wind farm.  Maybe I am being contentious.  Maybe I should be looking at the conservation of wildlife but I reckon that if we keep on burning fossil fuels at the rate we are and don't embrace large-scale wind technology we won't have any wildlife to conserve.