The answer is simple, if not very green: just throw them away.

That’s more than can be said about CFLs. While incandescent bulbs can be thrown in the trash, CFLs, on the other hand, contain small amounts of mercury in each bulb, which not only poses a safety risk when you accidentally break one in your home, but also when they are disposed of at waste incinerators or landfills, potentially causing mercury to pollute the air or seep into groundwater. That’s rather unfortunate, because for those of you who are not aware, ingesting or breathing in mercury is a pretty good way to die.

Because of this minor predicament, there are special measures being taken to develop safer disposal systems, including a machine that crushes CFLs using a negative pressure ventilatior and a mercury absorbing filter or cold-trap to contain the subsequent mercury emissions. Facilities that have and utilize these safer machines are few and far between, however, making proper (and safe) CFL disposal inconvenient and difficult.

So the concern isn't what does a nation do with it's old light bulbs? It’s disposing of our new light bulbs that's scary.

Faced with the possibility of further damaging the world’s 7th largest economy, Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took a step towards curbing the situation today by signing bill SB 1137, which passed by a 55-18 vote.

“Foreclosure is a financial and emotional crash that takes years to overcome,” Schwarzenegger said during a press conference before the signing of the bill today. “This bill gives homeowners a chance to explore restructuring options.”

The bill will aid homeowners facing foreclosure by requiring mortgage holders to give borrowers a 30-day notice before filing any default notice leading to foreclosure. This period will allow for homeowners to schedule telephone or in-person meetings with their holders to discuss options before the foreclosure period begins.

President pro tempore of the Californian State Senate Don Perata, who helped create the bill, expressed similar sentiments. “SB 1137 makes sure people who are being foreclosed have a shot to talk to the holders,” he said. “This allows for a conversation, and hopefully, they can work something out.”

Senator Perata added that high foreclosure rates in California have “shattered” the state’s economy. “When President Bush finally stated that our country is in a recession, we had already figured that out here. We got hit hard.”

While this bill places responsibilities on mortgage holders, Schwarzenegger maintained that homeowners have obligations to fulfill, as well. “Don’t run away when someone reaches out to you,” he urged homeowners. “When someone calls you, answer the phone. If they write you a letter, go and respond, because lenders want to avoid foreclosure just as much as you do.”

In addition to the 30-day notice policy, the bill also mandated that tenants of buildings that are facing foreclosure be given a 60-day notice before they can be removed from the housing unit. This is twice the time previously given to tenants in such a situation.

The bill additionally requires owners of foreclosed homes to face fines up to $1,000 a day for not adequately maintaining them (during foreclosure). This would, presumably, help prevent houses and neighborhoods in California from becoming “eyesores,” as Senator Perata described them.

A video of the event and more information can be found on Gov. Schwarzenegger's Web site: http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/10119/

Posted by: Jean Paul Vellotti

“This is a story about a woman in love with her house. It's also about your house. Your sister's. And your best friend's. It's about intuition, and some fundamental principles of design. And it's about how we all can learn to love our houses a little more.”

And so reads the abstract to the article, “Listening to Your House,” which was originally published in the first issue of Inspired House magazine, nearly five years ago. I think the advice is still sound, and invite you to read the article, available online for the first time.

By the way, if you are a fan of Inspired House, or just want to read more about architecture and design, albeit with a Fine Homebuilding twist, check out our Design channel. There you will find more on the topic, and additional Inspired House articles and advice.