CFLs under review

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) have long been hailed as the darling of the green-minded consumer for their energy savings -- even though they contain mercury vapor. The Environmental Protection Agency has long recommended them as a net positive for the environment.

But what if they don't work? That's a question the New York Times posed recently in a story under the headline, "Do New Bulbs Save Energy if They Don’t Work?" The article describes an expanded effort by the government to test bulbs for lifespan and luminosity.