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Friday, August 21, 2009

What are we suppose to do with all our incandescent bulbs once we switch to CFLs?

This week we study the Torah portion known as Shoftim. It contains one of the primary Eco-Judaism teachings Ba'al Taschit, which urges us not to waste anything. So in that spirit, I bring you a bright idea. (a bright green, eco Judaism, Ba'al Taschit, Thou Shalt Not Waste, idea.)


Question:
What are we suppose to do with all our incandescent bulbs once we switch to CFLs ? You know that box or two or three under the bathroom sink or in the garage waiting patiently for an empty light socket that now will never need it?


When we go green and switch to CFL light bulbs, how green/ environmentally sensitive is it to throw out our old incandescents?


For that matter, what are we supposed to do with burned out incandescent bulbs? We can't recycle them, at least not easily.


I've go the solution! My bright green, eco Judaism, Ba'al Taschit, Thou Shalt Not Waste, idea.


At countless Jewish weddings, the last "step" of the wedding is when the groom stomps on the glass, and the guests yell, "Mazel tov!"


Did you know that glass need not be a fine crystal wine glass? It just needs to be some thing glass that breaks and makes a loud noise. Incandescent bulbs, it turns out, fit the bill. They break and because of the vacuum, they make a far superior popping sound to a wine glass. (And it also relieves the worry of the stem of the wine glass gong through the groom's fancy, thin soled, Italian shoes and piercing his foot. That, it turns out, is a great way to ruin a wedding.)


You probably know about the Adventure Rabbi Sisterhood Gift shop. (Giftshop sales help us fund our programs, because all proceed go right back into the Adventure Rabbi program budget.) But you may not know that we make and sell the special breaking of the glass kits we sell. We take light bulbs, sew a beautiful ivory, purple or black cover around it, decorate it with beads or flowers, bless them with blessings for a good marriage, and then ship them around the world for grooms to stomp on. (Is that the last time the man gets to put his foot down?)


What do we use for incandescent bulbs? Well, in the beginning we simply took the ones we could find on the back shelf of our linen closet or from old lamps we no longer used. Then, when we switched our home and office over from incandescent bulbs to CFL, our incandescent bulbs supply chain ended. (Note: you cannot use CFL bulbs for this project.) We could buy incandescent bulbs to break, but that seems really wasteful.


So back to my bright idea, my green solution! My bright-green, eco-Judaism, Ba'al -Taschit, Thou-Shalt-Not -Waste, idea.
You have bulbs you don't know what to do with, and we can use incandescent bulbs. If you bring us your old light bulbs, we will reduce waste, reuse and recycle your bulb into a beautiful wedding accoutrement. Nice, eh?


Check out the final product>>

http://www.adventurerabbi.org/giftshop/



So... if you want to mail or drop off a bag of bulbs, our office is at 5353 Manhattan Circle suite #103 Boulder 80303


Let me know your bright-green, eco-Judaism, Ba'al -Taschit, Thou-Shalt-Not -Waste, ideas and I will post them here.