The Magazine

Schlesinger, West Point, and more

Jan 14, 2008, Vol. 13, No. 17
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I know from personal experience that if you use CFLs in a humid environment, like a bathroom or near a cooking area, there is a high likelihood a CFL will short out. However, unlike an incandescent bulb, where a broken filament acts as an off-switch to the current, a shorted-out CFL can start to burn. In my case, smoke started pouring out of the CFL bulb. Had I not been there to immediately turn off the switch it would probably have started a fire and/or caused dangerous gases to be released into my home.

This is another example of why no good law is worth rushing through Congress.


Manchester, N.H.