Because of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, we must say goodbye to incandescent light bulbs. It’s been hard to fathom and I’ve been fuming ever since.

I realize these new bulbs are cost-effective in that they use less energy and last tens of thousands of hours, (so they’ll probably outlive me), but past experience made me hate them. The blue tint in the lamp above our table turned my meals an unappetizing, green-ish hue.

There was a delay between the on/off switch and the bulb fully lighting (causing frequent tripping and falling down stairs); they had an odd shape; they flickered; you couldn’t use them outside and applying makeup was a nightmare.

Another drawback was that they contained mercury. If you happen to break one, follow this 3-page, EPA document to clean it up safely. (You don’t want to grow additional thumbs, do you?)

The other day, my friend, Shelley, mentioned something that I hadn’t thought of.   Her granddaughter’s Easy Bake Oven is now useless. It uses a 100W incandescent light bulb, which is harder to find than Kanye West at a Taylor Swift concert. The EASI of 2007 murdered the Easy Bake Oven! All of those carcasses will end up in landfills. How green is that?

And what about the “how many does it take to change a light bulb” jokes? They’re not going to be as funny.

Q: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Only one, but the bulb must really WANT to change.

Compared to:

Q: How many Zen masters does it take to change a CFL light bulb?

A: None – the universe spins the light bulb and the Zen master steps out of the way

You can still find the old-style bulbs, but inventory is dwindling. Bulb makers and retailers have largely moved on. So have most consumers.  Much has improved over the original answer to energy saving lighting. These new light sources come in all shapes and sizes. They are now available in 3-Ways, decorative flames, track lighting and recessed lighting and significant amounts of electricity has been saved.

In an attempt to rid angst out of my life, I’ve decided to put my big-girl pants on and concede to these energy conserving light bulbs. Now that incandescent bulbs are no longer a viable option, we’re left with only three options, but the light-bulb aisle has never been more confusing. Here’s a little help.

• Halogens are similar to traditional incandescent bulbs. They instantly produce light, accurately show the colors of objects, don’t contain mercury and are fully dimmable. They use about 25% less energy than the old incandescents, so they just meet the newly enacted energy-efficiency standards. A 43-Watt bulb is the equivalent of an old 60-Watt filament bulb.
• CFL bulbs or Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (no, not Curly Freakin’ Lights).
  These were the first energy efficient lights to which we were introduced. There have been many improvements as you’ll find a variety of color options that are warmer and “Instant On” CFL’s are now available. Plus, the cost has gone way down to around $2 for the non-fancy CFL.
• LEDs are, I think, the rock stars of new lights. They last far longer than even CFLs. Some manufacturers claim that they can last up to 46 years when used three hours a day! They are pricier though, (about 5 times the cost of incandescent bulbs) but it is said they will eventually pay for themselves with the energy saved and the cost of replacement.

What’s a lumen?
The science behind these new light sources is more complex than opening a childproof medicine bottle. All we really have to know is brightness is measured in lumens, not watts—the higher the number, the brighter the bulb. When shopping, use this chart as a guideline to achieve similar brightness produced by the old incandescent bulbs:

Next, for the same “warmth” of an incandescent bulb, we must consider the Kelvin. Kelvin is a unit of measurement used to describe the hue of a specific light source. Look for 2700K through 3500K LED light bulb or the terms “warm white” and “soft white” and you won’t be disappointed.

Finally, LED bulbs also provide good color rendering, which is the ability of a bulb to show the true color of objects. This is measured on a scale of zero to 100, with 100 being the best. LEDs offer as much as 85 on this scale.