Why would you ever buy CFLs?

       If you didn't know you should go buy light bulbs.  Now.  Come back and read the rest of this when you are done.  Buy a decades worth, and pick me some up if they are on sale.  You will soon no longer be able to buy incandescent bulbs.  We've all heard the propaganda, good for the earth, blah, blah, blah.
       There was a government appointee on WGN recently extolling the virtues of CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent lamp) and LED bulbs (Light emitting diode).  He began by stating that the average American home, assuming 2 hours of lighting per room per day, spends eight whole dollars a year on electricity for lighting.  The host, obviously as confused as I was, asked if he didn't mean per month, or per room.  The "expert" said that no, he meany per year, but with CFL's you could cut that cost in half.  and with LEDs you could get that down to 2 dollars.
          I feel that might actually be right because you see, 100 watts of light in a room is a lot.  Your computer uses about 1200 watts.  Same for a TV.  The furnace or AC is around 4000.  But that aside lets do some math.  We all like math, right.  Most of our electric bill is spent on things that are not lighting.  Current rates are about 8 cent per KW/Hour.  That's 8 cent for each thousand watts, each hour.  So one hour of 100 watt lighting is .8 cent.  (1/10 of a KWH x 8 cent.)  2 hours per day = 1.6 cent.  x 365  = $5.84.  I don't think we all use 100 watt bulbs, so he might be right.

       On Amazon I found 60 watt, or 60 watt equivalent bulbs of each type.  Using the cheapest I could find I came up with: A 24 pack of incandescent bulbs for 11.87.  We'll go ahead and call that 12 dollars.  That makes them 50 cent per bulb.  (49.4 cent, actually)  (http://www.amazon.com/SYLVANIA-10489-60-Watt-130-Volt-Household/dp/B000BQPXFK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1321579431&sr=8-3)  Found an off-brand for 42 cent per, but I wouldn't buy those.

       Next is the CFL, darling of congress.  8 pack for $8.75.  That's 1.09 per bulb.  These particular bulbs will not quite get you to the four dollar a year mark, but we'll give the benefit of the doubt.  (http://www.amazon.com/GE-13-Watt-Energy-SmartTM-replacement/dp/B000NISDNU/ref=sr_1_1?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1321579377&sr=1-1)

       Now lets look at the LED bulb.  One for $16.00.  Easy math at least.  (http://www.amazon.com/LED-Standard-Screw-Replacement-1020wh/dp/B004ORFCVM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1321579471&sr=8-4)

       So for each year the cost is, assuming 8 bulbs (artificially low) , Standard: $11.92.  (8 bulbs plus cost/year)  CFL cost would be $12.72  Since they seem to last about as long as an incandescent that means they cost MORE.  Also the more bulbs you have the worse it looks for CFLs.  (Note: they are supposed to last longer but I have just not seen it.)  Next the LED bulb at $130.00 cost per year.   Now they are supposed to last a long time and for that price, they damned well better.  Like 11 times as long.

        I would also like to point out that all of these options have been available for a while.  No one was forcing us to buy incandescent bulbs, we did it because we liked the color of the light, and WE CAN DO MATH.  Unlike congress.

       We now come to the reasons why CFLs and LEDs are bad, other than the cost.  You see CFLs and LED lamps take more material to make.  Most CFLs are mercury vapor lamps, and technically have to be disposed of by a special waste handler, SINCE THEY ARE BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.  And the color of the light they put out is an atrocity.  Also the flicker of a fluorescent can induce headaches in some, and migraines in others.  You can't put a CFL in your oven for a light, nor can you use an LED.  Neither is able to be used around some medical equipment (MRI scanners for example)   Congress, is there a plan "B" for that?

       But at least we FEEL like we are saving the planet.