How Much Environmental Damage is Done by Turning on a Light Bulb?

Question

Recently I asked the question under the math section as to how much would it cost to leave a regular light bulb on all day. Well the general consensus is just a few cents. (not that we would ever leave it on all day) My mother in law is constantly turning of all the lights in our house, leaving us basically in the dark in the evenings not only because she is trying to save money but (being a long time sierra club member and environmentalist) her main concern is energy conservation. Where do we draw the line with energy conservation? I mean it seams so over the top to be sitting in the dark with only one light on most evenings. How much environmental damage is a light doing?

Answer 1

plenty, it takes fossil fuels to power electricity or nuclear power (vast majority) so more emissions are released into the air.  

the north pole is melting and everyone is just in denial.

use night lights or fluorescent bulbs instead of regular bulbs, they burn less watts and save money and the environment. esp fluorescent because the emit more light at a lower wattage.... I cut my electric bill by 1/3 by using them all over my home.also burn candles in the evening....it has more ambiance and relaxing than harsh light.

Answer 2

1 light bulb is contributing with millions of other unnecessarily lit bulbs in wasting energy

Answer 3

I found somewhere awhile back that flipping on a light is about the same as running it for five minutes.  So the trick is, when leaving a room, asking yourself if you will be back there within the next five minutes.

I like the question and think it points towards the "bigger" concepts on conservation.  You mention your mother-in-law is a member of the Sierra Club -- they have stressed wise, moderate and sustainable usage of our natural resources.  I think that's a good guiding start.

I think switching over (pardon the pun) all your light bulbs to the smart, energy efficient, long lasting ones is the best start for your home on the lighting "issue" you have there.

Good luck.

Answer 4

its not doing any damage at all,  it just cost money to keep them on.

Answer 5

buy a compact flourescent light bulbs. i got 2 for a buck at the dollar store.

the light is so much brighter. it consumes 23 watts of electricity but gives out a 100 watts electricity.

even the light is not harsh. in the normal light bulb u may find its so tough to look staright at the light bulb, here it's easier.

so when ur annoying mother-in-law switches it off, tell her that ur burning only 23 watts. less than 50 watts of a normal lightulb and tell her to scram.

they also have great deals at wal-mart. buy em quick.

Answer 6

All of the technical information has been given, if it bothers you go and buy energy-efficant lightbulbs. They come soft-white and florescent. You would have light and your mother-in-law will be conserving energy.

Answer 7

The Greenies never claimed that sanity is a prerequisite.

Answer 8

Two answers, both right.

1)  If you're a person who finds not using the lights uncomfortable, buy compact fluorescent lightbulbs (saving a lot of energy), and use lights.  There are lots of ways to help the environment, don't make yourself miserable doing ones you hate.  It's just not that big a deal.

2)  If you're a person who feels good using little light because you want to help the environment, do that.  It helps some and you feel good about it, so it's great.

So the right answer is different for you and for your mother-in-law.

On many levels this looks more like an issue with the relationship and not the environment.  maybe you could tell her how you feel and ask her what other changes could be made in the household to help the environment, so that you can use more light but still help the environment.

Answer 9

I seem to recall hearing once that most home lighting provides more light than our eyes can utilize.  We're paying to overlight our homes.

So find out what power bulbs are being used, either use a stronger watt bulb or lower the bulbs and turn on several lights.  Find a way to validate your mother-in-laws concerns while providing the light you need to do what you want to do.

That said, not much damage is  being done unless you're leaving high wattage bulbs on all over for extended periods of time.

Answer 10

The "damage" from a light bulb or two is minimal. A 60 watt bulb left on for 8 hours at night will use 0.48 Kw/hr (the cost depends on your local utility rates).

But it raises another issue--that is more important: how "green" do we need to be.  For what it's worth, here's my view.  The key is to use common sense.  I don't think people should make themselves unconfortable by forcing themselves into a lifestyle they really don't like.  And I think the things we all can do WITHOUT going to extremes are the really important things.  Here's a couple of examples:

>If you switch to the compact flourescent bulbs, you're going to cut energy use by 75-80% even if you use lighting as much as you always did.  And trying to push the issue at that point might save another 2-3%--but is it worth it?  I'd say no.  And--besides the help to the environment, this acutally puts money in people's pockets in lower utility bills--so there's a personal benefit as well.

> Much the same for appliances.  I'm in the middle of switching over to energy efficient appliances.  I have a budget, like most people--so I'm waiting until its time to replace items anyway--then I can afford a little extra for an energy efficient model (and again, energy savings will eventually pay for that relatively small difference).

>Some things help the environmet that are just good sense anyway.  For example, because I work at home, the computer needs to be on pretty much all the time.  But--I have the "hibernate" feature activated.  That cuts the energy use by a sizeable fraction--and saves wear and tear on the system besides.

My point is that using common sense--and a little research--will show most people ways they can cut energy use by a considerable amount--and save money in the bargain, or at least with little or no cost.  And without having to inconvenience themselves or change their lifestyle in any drastic fashion.  And--that's where the really big savings in eergy are anyway.

So-get a compact flourescent bulb and leave the light on if you want to!

Answer 11

As I know - Homes are the worst polluters on the planet, all the things we have in the home to use all the time produce HUGE amounts of C02 into the environment. Placing an energy correction unit which corrects the power factor in the home, can reduce the impact by as much as 20-30% per home.

I developed a product that does just that.

http://www.patriot-energy.net

Enjoy!