Have you heard the news? Starting this month, Wal- Mart is putting fancy displays in all its stores to encourage 100 million consumers to buy at least one compact fluorescent light bulb as a way to save energy and stop global warming.

What’s so great about CFLs? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these energy misers use at least 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light. Even though they’re initially more expensive than a standard bulb, CFLs will save you $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime. If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.

Another terrific benefit? CFLs save time. Because they last ten times as long as an incandescent, you can literally put them in and forget about them. Some consumers quibble with the millisecond delay it takes for a CFL to light after it’s been turned on (a function of its energy-saving technology). I’ve gotten over it. I also like the different lighting hues many CFLs now offer: day light, soft white, outdoor, and more.

You don’t need to buy your bulb at Wal-Mart to find the CFL that suits you. Lowes sells Sylvania and Bright Effects compact fluorescents. Home Depot offers N:Vision bulbs in a helpful package that shows you everything you need to know to choose the right bulb to meet a particular lighting need and how much money you’ll save during the life of the bulb. Your local hardware store probably carries General Electric, Osram, Philips, or Good Earth compact fluorescents.

Whichever brand you buy, make sure it carries the bright blue Energy Star seal of approval, like the one shown above. There are many brands of CFLs available. The ones that will save you the most money – and that are the best for the earth – meet the EPA’s standards for energy efficiency. The World Women Want offers more energy-efficient lighting information on our website.

In addition to these twice-a-month updates, we're regularly adding new content to our website: www.theworldwomenwant. What'll you find? Look for green shopping tips, eco-friendly projects, and a wealth of information for greener, cleaner, safer living that will often save you time and money, too. For more, go to the "Your World" section of our site.