Making Light of... Light

By now we have all grokked that compact fluorescents are every bit as warm and flattering as incandescents. But still, sometimes you want lighting to be just a bit less perscriptive and a bit more fun. We laughed at Inhabitat's take on Die Electric's CanDull (pictured), a witty candleholder intended to remind us to power down. Back in college thrift store days, we used an ornate vintage pedestal lamp as a candelabra--it turns out that ordinary tapers do fit into standard light bulb sockets with very little coaxing (tin foil can help, just remember not to forget and plug the lamp in!).

Speaking of lighting, one of the drawbacks of CFLs has been that they do require small amounts of mercury to manufacture--mercury being a toxic metal that is found concentrated in certain fish, including tuna and salmon. Today, we heard a wonderful example of the circle of life in action, or nature's comeuppance. According to EcoGeek: "Recently, Professor Andrew Steckl, a University of Cincinnati researcher, has found that he can improve the efficiency of LEDs by using DNA, specifically, from salmon sperm."

Some things to think about next time you dine on salmon by candlelight.