Products & Ideas...

If you're a good greenie, you've probably already replaced all of your household lighting with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs.

But take a minute to think about it -- did you really replace every bulb in your house?

What about your refrigerator light? Flashlights? Christmas lights? Candelabras and chandeliers? The overhead light in your car?

CFLs are awesome, and they save both money and electricity, but they aren't the only substitute for traditional bulbs, and they're too big for many devices. But there's something else out there that also fits the bill:

LEDs.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are the next big thing in lighting. Like CFLs, they use less power, last longer, and are a great alternative to incandescent lighting.

But John, you say, LEDs have been around for years. You're right, but still, this is an exciting time for LED technology. Constant innovations have created better, brighter lights with a wide range of "color temperatures." Meanwhile, more and more stores are stocking LEDs, and more devices are coming with them built in. (I don't go anywhere at night without an LED Maglite flashlight in my jacket pocket.)

Looking a few years ahead, it's quite likely that LEDs will supplant even CFLs as the greenest lighting option. I'd even go as far as to call CFLs a transitional technology, something to get us out of the incandescent habit until an even better alternative comes around.

So start thinking about all of the extra bulbs in your house, and then start looking at LEDs. You'll be glad you did.