I still have the first compact florescent bulbs I ever bought.  They weren’t really compact, in fact, despite their standard light bulb base, they were too big to fit into most lamps.  And they took a a few moments to light up, and the color was awful.  But they were so expensive at the time, I can’t bring myself to throw them out.  Fast-forward 15 years, and it’s a new bulb game.  The N:Vision compact florescent bulb I bought at Home Depot a few months ago fits in my lamps and provides light as pleasing, warm and color-correct as a regular incandescent.  No surprise N:Vision came out tops in this month’s Popular Mechanics ratings.  Replacing incandescent bulbs with Compact Florescent bulbs is an easy way to start shrinking your carbon footprint.