GLOBAL WARMING ACTION: Here's what I'm doing tomorrow.....

I went to Walmart and shelled out $45 CDN for 24 CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs). They're the "Energy Value" brand which Walmart in Canada sells in blue carboard boxes.

The bulbs are 13W and give off a soft/yellow light equivalent to 60W incandescent.

Tomorrow I'm putting these bulbs in mailboxes with the following wrapping:


How I packeged and distribued the bulbs:
Inside the box is a cardboard piece that the bulb is anchored to via the bulb cap (the screw in part). The cardboard is a friction fit and doesn't release the bulb without screwing it out.
I cut the cardboard so each bulb gets about a 2 inch cube piece.
Then using (coincidentaly) green painters masking tape, I created a tube out of the above graphic. Note the size of the above graphic is 1/4 of a letter sheet. When I print it the above appears 4 times on the sheet. I cut up the sheet into 4x5.5 inch pieces. The tube is made by taping on the inner side of the paper, giving a tube about the correct diameter of the bulb with a little stickyness exposed (maybe a 1/3 inch strip of tape. Then slide the bulb into the tube, and the paper will stop when it meets the cardboard. I used a small strip of tape to secure the paper to the cardboard, and with the above writing on the outside that is what goes in a mailbox.

Total cost with tax, not including the tape and paper/printing: $1.88 per bulb.

The wording says it's a .50 savings over my cost, which is $.12 off. I'm rounding. :P
EDIT: Forgot I made the wording generic. My wordking says they pay $1.50 per bulb, $.50 less than my cost.

And if putting this out generates phone calls inviting me to come over and install more bulbs I'll have the opportunity to talk about what else they can do as individuals/homeowners to help.

One suggestion: hang the bulbs from their doorknob. It's against the rules to put them in the mailbox.

a piece of cardboard from the original packaging and a 4x5.5 inch piece of paper. And a 3inch piece of masking tape.

The paper is snug around the bulb, and it extends an inch beyond the end of bulb, providing some protection. It's got to be the mailbox.

Against the rules? How come?

https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-bin/hdusps.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=7453&p_created=1129571923&p_sid=cMG1umti&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MzkmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PW1haWxib3g*&p_li=&p_topview=1

Your idea sounds great. You need to find another way to deliver it though, I think.

Here's some info on this: http://www.gao.gov/archive/1997/gg97085.pdf



I know it's more work, but maybe you could put the material in a clear plastic bag so you could hang it from their doorknob?

I don't give a fuck.

I see you are in Canada, and of course, you play by different rules. :)

Jail? What will they do to you, and how much of a f'n hero would you be if they put you in jail for that?

Given what's at stake I wouldn't worry about it.

When I say "rules", that is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying "laws". So my intent was to say that maybe in Canada you are allowed to put things in the mailbox.

Is the intent of your post to show that you are a jerk?

If there was a law against it in Canada that would be absolutely irrelevant to me. Get it.

But I must thank you, because your post got me thinking about an improvement, and created a masking tape loop off of the cardboard piece which I can hang on the mailbox hanger.

needed?

cfl's. Where can they be used?

I have a regular one outside in a semi-enclosed fixtire. It's got a roof on it, but the wind (and moisture) blows through.

It works fine. When it's very cold the only thing is it takes a few seconds to brighten. The ballast needs to get warm.

We have them in the bathroom, no problem. I have no incandescent left in the house, actually.

Y or N.

A good way to get people started.