Good To Know: A Better Light Bulb

By Natural Home Staff

Luxim, a Silicon Valley firm, has introduced a full-spectrum light bulb that’s nearly 10 times as efficient as a standard bulb and more than twice as efficient as a compact fluorescent. At 144 lumens per watt, one LIFI 8000 bulb—which is the size of a vitamin pill—produces more light than 20 fluorescents.

The LIFI 8000 uses LED technology to create plasma, eliminating the need for filaments or electrodes. This also helps keep the bulbs cooler than other kinds of lighting.

Currently, the technology is cost-prohibitive for the home consumer, but Luxim anticipates bringing the product to the commercial market later this year.

“This apparent improvement in lighting efficiency is just another example of the early stages of the green industrial revolution,” says Robert Politzer, president and CEO of Greenstreet Construction, an eco-friendly design and building firm in New York City. “When the carbon-capped economy finally emerges in the United States, along with the increasing price of energy, this revolution will move into high gear.”  

-By Kelly Smith

Certifiably Natural

Not sure just how “natural” that personal-care item is? The Natural Products Association’s new certification label assures you that products with its seal contain at least 95 percent natural ingredients from renewable resources and do not contain ingredients that pose a human health risk. To learn more about the NPA or certification guidelines, visit  www.NaturalProductsAssoc.org. 

-By Travis Brown