"Man has lost touch with Nature, Consumed by his own Thoughts." ~ J. Krishnamurti 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world." ~ Margaret Mead

Our use of incandescent (filament burning) light bulbs is outdated. So much of their energy conversion goes towards heating a filament rather than producing light. Nine of these 100watt incandescent light bulbs glowing 8 hours per day for one year use approximately 2142 pounds of coal. The by-products of the coal combustion for their light produce 15 pounds of sulfur dioxide mixing in our planet’s atmosphere that results in acid rain. 15.3 pounds of nitrogen oxide are also released furthering the contribution to both smog and acid rain. 

5556 pounds of carbon dioxide are discharged into our atmosphere from the coal combusted for lighting these same nine incandescent filament-burning bulbs. These bulbs not only excessively heat their filaments in a poor ratio of energy to light, but they also heat up our planet by requiring four times more coal burning than other lighting technology available now.

The accumulation of carbon dioxide is occurring at a rate more rapid than our planet’s ecological systems can absorb. The planet’s continual cycling absorption systems are overloaded with excessive carbon dioxide produced as a combustion by-product in all our modern energy demands. Each of us in dimmed consciousness has ignored global warming being amassed by our energy consumption. The results of inefficient and excessive energy consumption has been predicted by visionaries and scientists for over 50 years, but the symptom of global warming is now known to be occurring even more rapidly than was predicted. Our consumption of energy/electricity through inefficient energy appliances and lighting our business and homes, foster all forms of air pollution and enormous discharges of carbon dioxide leading to global temperature rise and the destruction of so many ecological systems already underway.

Compact florescent light bulbs (CFL’s) are four times more efficient. They use one-fourth the coal to produce the same light. They convert 75% of the electrical energy they use to light in contrast to filament heating in an incandescent bulb. Nine 100watt CFL’s, for eight hours per day over a one year period, require only 538 pounds of coal to be burned, in contrast to 2142 pounds for the same wattage in nine 100watt incandescent bulbs. Only 3.75 lbs of sulfur and nitrogen oxide are released for the CFL’s. Most critical to global warming is that these nine CFL bulbs reduce the amount of coal burned by 1604 pounds and that amount of coal’s combustion byproduct, carbon dioxide, by 4167 lbs. Each household utilizing nine, 100watt CFL lights, for 8 hours per day for one year, reduces three quarter of a ton of coal burning annually and well-over two tons of the carbon dioxide emissions per year that is warming our planet so rapidly. 

Economically, CFL’s last 10-11 times longer than incandescent filament bulbs. (Incandescent bulbs have a lifespan that averages 750 hours, CFL’s average 8000 hours) As consumers we may mindfully purchase technology that reduces damaging effects on our bodies, all life bodies and the planetary body, save natural resources because they last long, and save us money. Our lucid purchase decisions do motivate manufacturers to pursue technology that will produce “E”co-minded products.

Paradoxically, Thomas Edison invented the electric incandescent filament light bulb to lessen the respiratory health risks from indoor kerosene/gas lighting. The invention of the electric light was a first step in the lesson to lessen indoor pollution. This lesson comprehensively must always include dealing with the pollution within our minds. Toxic beliefs have been passed on for generations. Edison knew that the current technology of lighting homes and businesses in his time, was releasing unhealthy particulate matter into the air, adversely affecting the matter of everyone’s health. Our neglecting the pollutions in our belief systems collectively has lead to other matter particulates such as smog pollution and excessive carbon dioxide buildup (global warming) affecting the health of the whole planet.

Without continuously evolving “E”-Consciousness leading all our technological advancements, the lesson to lessen pollution in the mind that gets passed on towards the body, still remains. Since Edison’s time, greater energy consumption continues to consume us. We have looped the indoor pollution that Edison’s technology had moved to the outdoors, back to ourselves, in doors, and now inside every body. The many kinds of respiratory systems of the planet have been distressed just as respiratory ailments have risen in human beings.

All the pulsing, breathing, bodily systems of every diverse life form throughout the microbial, sea, bird, animal, and human worlds are in jeopardy. We all need to be outdoors for happiness and wellness, but just as we have ignored portions of our whole mental/physical health we have not attended to the wellness of the outdoor ecosystems that sustain us. We cannot live well when water/air/food both inside us and outside us are so polluted. True prosperity must be understood comprehensively as a holistic process that includes our total health and well being, the health and wellness in everyone, all life and Mother Earth who hosts us.

Unconsciously, we have not properly attended to the pollution arising from the many fixed intergenerational patterns of greed that have been consuming our minds, leading us back into patterns of mindless consumption. The false adversarial belief systems that we harbor behind closed doors have interacted with and contaminated the outdoor ecosystems of the planet. The word ecology comes from the Greek word “ecos” meaning “household,” and each our own households have some disharmonious beliefs. As a boomerang returns to its sender, our own pollution returns to our indoor households much like the household we have created outdoors. Both of these internal and external matters inhibit the health inside our bodies. Some people responded to global warming with more erroneous adversarial thoughts, continuing the outdated paradigm that nature is somehow the enemy. All of our bodies have been approaching a toxic load limit affecting our overall health for several generations. Our planetary body, Mother Earth, is a friend that can no longer adapt to all we have neglected to attend to in her, as ourselves.

To some extent, we have been aware that all autoimmune diseases, (allergies, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and respiratory ailments to name a few) as well as many bacterial/viral mutations that have been increasing for some time. Our own internal cellular ecosystems are overloaded proportional to our excessively imbalanced consumption of energy and nature’s generous resources. As the Earth’s life sustaining eco systems have become ill, from our own ill will, all the damage loops back into our own body’s cellular eco-systems. 

Energy saving appliances and compact florescent lights are one avenue of assisting in the healing of the planet, our selves and many forms of life being among us. We are all made of the same stuff and we have affected the whole eco system within and without, by the stuff we make. As we view money as energy, we may be more conscious in our purchasing of stuff and more wisely and harmoniously conserve matter/energy resources.

The initial cost of CFL’s varies. At the time of writing this article, I priced a 4pack bargain offer of the 60watt light CFL’s at $2.15 per bulb. CFL’s equivalent to 100-125 watt incandescent, cost 3-4 times more than incandescent, but all CFL’s last 10-11 times longer. US electric rates vary, but the savings in electricity to operate one 100watt CFL bulb, 8 hours per day for one year, average $12.00 to $35.00. Over a 10 times extended life period, the savings would range from $120.00 to $350.00. All these savings are many times more than their slightly higher cost than conventional filament bulbs. In all light/wattage ranges, compact florescent bulbs save us money, energy and our natural resources, and we do not have to change them so often because they last at least 10 times longer.

Our consumer purchases influence and represent each voice calling for more efficient technology to be continually developed in energy saving devices. In an illuminated vision for the future, Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) are 20 times more efficient in their conversion of electrical energy to light than incandescent bulbs and five times more efficient than current CFL technology. Flashlights are already sold utilizing LED’s so we do not have to purchase and dispose of so many batteries. Can we visualize this LED technology lighting our households? That visualization is implemented whenever we encourage further development of LED by practicing mindful purchases through LED flashlights in our “ecos.” (ecology)

Our gratefulness for the most efficient designs is expressed through our lucid purchasing decisions. This is the health-filled expression of gratitude, the virtue that must be fully active for our health and the health of planet Earth who host us. Our collective minds and voices for healthy change are heard and implemented directly whenever we practice lighted purchasing decisions. Whenever “E” Consciousness is fully implemented, it merges all the talk with the walk of light.

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Dr. Darryl Pokea (pronounced “Po-Kay”) is a professional speaker and author on Mind, Body and Spirit Interconnectedness and Complementary Medicine. He invites you to his website to view synopses of his presentations, particularly Reverence for the Earth& Ourselves. You may also listen to samples of his healing music and voice in his Meditation CD’s that balance the internal ecology of mind and body at: www.drpokea.com