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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Shedding Light on Lightbulbs: The Ins and Outs of Our Options

LED lightbulb illuminated

led supermarket/pexels.com

Don’t be left in the dark when choosing lightbulbs. Lighting accounts for up to 20 percent of a household’s energy bill, and untold numbers of bulbs end up in landfills. Let’s illuminate some bulb options to increase savings and reduce waste. 

INCANDESCENT BULBS, the iconic symbol for a bright idea, were the only option until the early 2000s. They’re hot to the touch and no longer easy to find because governments worldwide have ordered them phased out to lower energy consumption.

Energy efficiency: Each bulb lasts one to two years, and 80 percent of the electricity is lost as heat.

Cost efficiency: Estimated $4.80 to $7.01 annual cost of operation.

Potential health risks: No toxic chemicals. They can cause burns or fires if hot from use.

Proper disposal: Not recyclable. Throw away in garbage.

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS (CFL) were a great answer to the incandescent bulbs that came before them as far as energy efficiency, but they have disadvantages, as well.

Energy efficiency: About 65 to 75 percent more efficient than incandescent.

Cost efficiency: Estimated $1.25 to $1.75 annual cost of operation.

Potential health risks: CFLs contain small traces of mercury and emit puffs of toxic powder when they break. Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website epa.gov for safe clean-up instructions.

Proper disposal: Go to Earth911 to search for nearby CFL disposal facilities.

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LED) bulbs are here to stay and illuminate the majority of households. To compute old bulb wattage compared to LED wattage, divide roughly by five or six. For example, a 60-watt incandescent bulb is equivalent to a 10-watt LED. It’s not an exact equation, but it’s close.

Energy efficiency: Up to 83 percent more efficient than incandescent.

Cost efficiency: Estimated $1.19 annual cost of operation per bulb.

Potential health risks: Age-related macular degeneration is more likely with high exposure to low-intensity “blue light”; however, the warmer glow from LEDs typically used in home light fixtures is not the culprit. The “blue light” LEDs are typically glowing from computer screens, mobile phones and other devices or appliances.

Proper disposal: Big-box and local hardware stores often offer free or low-cost recycling, as do online recyclers and local facilities because there are no toxins or hard-to-recycle wires.

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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