For decades the world has seen trillions of incandescent light bulbs illuminating public and private places. Throughout their limited lives, these light bulbs had emitted an incalculable amount of damaging greenhouse gas. One cannot even start measuring how much electricity they have consumed, as statistics show that up to 95 percent of the energy each standard light bulb uses is wasted.

Today, governments around the world are focusing their efforts on ending the use of inefficient light bulbs and promoting instead the use of cost effective compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. However, there are still problems. These CFL light bulbs contain traces of toxic mercury that needs to be carefully collected and recycled properly. Simply dumping them in landfills as a result of phasing out conventional incandescent bulbs is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

So what can we do to help saving Mother Earth? The answer is simple — one light bulb at a time. Environmentalists have told us that if every household in the world replaced just three 60-watt incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs, the pollution savings would be like taking 3.5 million cars off the road. It sounds mightily wonderful, like Archimedes who swore that if he had a firm place to stand he could move the whole earth.

Meanwhile, relatively ordinary individuals like you and me can start changing the world by taking three simple steps. The first step is to replace one incandescent light bulb in your room with a CFL light bulb. Doing this, you have already saved 75 percent of energy. You have also helped preventing mercury from being released into the air from coal-powered electricity plants.

The next step is to check the “Energy Star” label on the CFL light bulb. The Energy Star program is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. Energy Star is designed to help people identify products that offer superior energy efficiency and performance. CFL light bulbs qualified by the Energy Star program are the most efficient on the market and provide the best quality of light.

Finally, when your CFL light bulb finally burns out — after a considerable lifetime of approximately 8,000 to 10,000 hours — dispose it properly. Check with your local government agency in charge of household hazardous waste to find out what recycling options are available in your area. By adopting environmentally responsible attitudes and acting accordingly, everybody can be a true hero in saving Mother Earth. For more energy tips please visit our 7 easy lighting tips for saving energy.