Base Housing Residents Encouraged to Use Fluorescent Lamps Published Oct. 16, 2007 By Jennifer Cooper 1st SOCES Hurlburt Field, Fla. -- Good news for residents of base housing; the Self Help Store is now offering a limited number of fluorescent lights for use in your home. As a Pollution Prevention measure, the Environmental Flight is encouraging all base residents to switch over to the more efficient fluorescents. The basis for this change is primarily energy conservation. It is estimated that if every American home replaced one standard light bulb with an "ENERGY STAR" fluorescent device, it would save over $600 million in annual energy costs. There are three very important reasons to switch to fluorescents. First, incandescent bulbs create large amounts of heat. Many of us have discovered this when we burned a finger while touching a bulb in use. Fluorescents in contrast, produce very little heat therefore lowering the amount of air conditioning needed. Secondly, fluorescent bulbs use, on average, 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs which results in a lowering of electricity bills. This benefits both private homeowners and residents of base housing. Finally, fluorescent lights can last as much as 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs saving money for replacement costs. Look for products that display the "ENERGY STAR" symbol to be sure you are getting a government certified device. All offices on Hurlburt Field are equipped with fluorescent tubes that conserve large amounts of energy. It is the goal of the P2 Program to further reduce electricity costs by eventually replacing all incandescent lights with fluorescent lamps. The most obvious place to do this is MFH and this is a goal of Environmental Management. Because fluorescent lights contain a tiny amount of heavy metals such as Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead, it is important that spent fluorescents are properly disposed of. There are several ways that base residents can dispose of these items. Spent fluorescent lights from base housing can be dropped off at the Okaloosa County Recycling Center. In addition, twice yearly, Hurlburt Field hosts a Household Chemicals Collection Day (Amnesty Day) and all Hurlburt Field employees can bring fluorescent lights and all other household hazardous wastes from their homes in for legal disposal. The next Amnesty Day is scheduled for October 19th. With a life span ten times longer than conventional bulbs, disposal of fluorescents should be a very infrequent occurrence but well worth the effort.