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Good idea but bad luck regarding wood - I have always used white wood redwood or pine as these are sustainable - nor tropical woods.I believe LEDs are the way to go.

The Incandescent Bulb is wasteful and produces often uwanted heat.
However the light they emit is healthy and the closest there is to the sun's own light.

However the so-called Energy Saving bulbs are worse because:
a they contain mercury
b the light they emit is unhealthy
c the uv light they emit is also unhealthy
d they may be a problem to recycle
e they are still expensive.

For now I still use the IBs but if I have to switch over it will be to LEDs.

Good Luck

Didn't know the Fluorescents were emitting any UV.
Always thought the UV was converted into Visible Light by the Fluorescent Coating inside the Tube/Bulb.
Is the Level high enough to be a Health-Hazard.?

BTW,some Tropical Woods could be Farmed the Way we do Wood here in Europe.
The Bahamas at one time considered farming the Horseflesh Tree there,that is related to Mahogany.Don't know whatever became of the Project.Probably went the way of so many other Government Projects the World over,namely Nowhere

A picture of a Horseflesh Tree ("Lysiloma sabicu" ) in South Florida

Looks like this thread (Global Warming) and the thread "Where`s everybody?" have gotten mixed up?.... "Where`s everybody" is talking about the Flatulence of Cow herds and harnessing their methane gas......

A few years ago, I thought I had the right idea on how to do my small part towards saving the world. I retired from the Semiconductor industry and started a hard wood company specializing in harvesting trees that came down in storms, floods, or in general for new highways or developments.

I thought I had a good business plan, I had my retirement money to "bootstrap" the company. But the reality was the company failed because woodworkers wanted the best price. They were not concerned about the "deforestation" of South America. I heard constant complaints that as a lumber manufacturer that our prices were the same as retail. Only once over three years did a single customer comment that he was appreciative of what we were doing. But he did not buy anything.

A lot of politicians and yahoo news are making a big deal about global warming now. But they offer no real solutions. Punitive approaches does not really drive people. Economics does.

I decided to go back to what I really know. I have a degree in Nuclear Physics and worked in the Semiconductor industry both in Process and Design. I am not here to "plug" my company. I would like to get your honest replies on an idea we have for a contest.

To start with, 95% of all electronics are built with "clock based" designs. Primarily because it is more simple than "non-clock based" designs. But clocks consume up to 40% of the power used in today's electronics. The important side of this, is that if you can design with less power, technically speaking certain problems affecting global warming can be addressed.

8 to 10% of all worldwide electricity is used for lighting.

Bright LEDs are a reality and use much less power. The problem is households are on Alternating Current not Direct Current (LEDs are direct current at 5 volts or less). Plus voltage varies and so does current or spikes in the current caused by weather, your air conditioner kicking in, etc.

The contest idea is simple. Use our "non-clock based design software" to build "green electronics" household lights to replace the normal 60 watt lightbulb with a 3 watt light bulb using LED's. (We do not produce LEDs)

The price has to be on the order of $1 or less estimated for large scale manufacturing. This would make the 3 watt bulb competitive with the 14 watt florescent bulb and the 60 watt incandescent bulb. Without hitting this price range, people in my opinion just don't see the advantage of buying a more expensive bulb.

So what do you think. Will the general public support this? It will save them money and cut 6 to 8% of the electricity used around the world if they buy the new bulbs.

Thanks for your answers, both positive and negative.

OMG! There is now a health warning on the standard energy saving bulbs we use in Europe:

1.) There is a small amount of mercury in them and if you break one you need to dispose of it carefully.

2.) For some people with certain susceptabilities to skin disorders the low energy bulbs can bring on or worsen these conditions.

I guess it's back to burning sheep fat in oil lanterns, and a little whale blubber for the lucky few?

Me too ... I ckacked up a BWA on my kitchen window, and a JKW in the bedroom, then with the panel on the patio linked to the WST on the west side, which is counter-linked to the ESTW on the north side, I getting incredible ZUD`s which is actually a good thing, because now with the IXP`s that cost hardly anything and are returnable for re-cycling the entire operation is good for installing some more ERS rays that link to the UV filters where I can charge the batteries for the pool ZINS and in turn they charge the PUGs at the front gate. WOW! This is realy great, and money saving too.

I do not know exactly what you really have in mind. However I can give you a proposal for which I also found very little support if at all.
Can you think of an idea that turns all the waste (Liquid & Solid) coming out of a village will be returned to that same village as Electricity or Fuel gas?
If you are in electronics and can design the equipment, I will be ready to give you a few hints I have picked during these last few years of research. Some methods are already in operation but in non-complete methods.

I will be ready to meet with all contibutors to this Thread and try to make some progress together.