That when my husband first brought home the CFL lightbulbs, I hated them. I thought the light was ugly and the only reason they stayed is because they are better for the environment. Now, I don't even notice the difference, so I'll admit I had a moment of feeling like taking them out and putting the ol incandecents back in, but thought hey, it's the least I can do for the earth.

although they are still expensive. I don't mind CFLs but they are noticeably different at least until you get used to it.

We're not married yet, so we're not real people to conservative rags like the WaPo, but I'm the one who was doing the persuading in the lightbulb aisle when my fiance (a gentleman) and I (a lady) bought our first CFLs. And our last, for many, many years, apparently! I love the environmental benefits, but also, not having to change a lightbulb for a couple years? Awesome.

There is still a big hurdle in convincing Americans that lighting-purchase decisions make a big difference in individual electricity bills and collectively for the environment," said Wendy Reed, director of the federal government's Energy Star campaign, which labels products that save energy and has been working with retailers to market CFL bulbs.

"I have heard time and again that a husband goes out and puts the bulb into the house, thinking he is doing a good thing," Reed said. "Then, the CFL bulb is changed back out by the women. It seems that women are much more concerned with how things look. We are the nesters."

How come you didn't pin any of the blame for this article on Wendy Reed, female that has breached the glass ceiling by becoming directory of the Fed's Energy Star campaign?

It seems that as the director of Energy Star, AND as a woman, her statement might be insightful. How come you didn't call the reporter or Ms. Reed and ask for their evidence?

I think your exclusion of this woman was horribly sexist of you. Or maybe her statement and title just didn't fit with your predrawn conclusion.

We're not married yet, so we're not real people to conservative rags like the WaPo, but I'm the one who was doing the persuading in the lightbulb aisle when my fiance (a gentleman) and I (a lady) bought our first CFLs. And our last, for many, many years, apparently! I love the environmental benefits, but also, not having to change a lightbulb for a couple years? Awesome.

Jeez, did you read the article you critiqued?

Apart from the one family, the authors cited a Washington Post-ABC News poll, Walmart sales figures, and market information from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

On what planet does that form broad generalizations?

An other anecdotal note to support the anecdotal statement. My wife's parents just built a new house, with a separate bathroom for her father and her mother. My father-in-law's bathroom uses only CFL lighting (he pays the electrical bills) but my mother-in-law refused to have them installed because of the color of their illumination.

And in my house I've installed CFLs in the garage, for outdoor security lights, etc, but my wife doesn't like them in the house both for ascetics reasons and illumination color reasons.

Apparently these didn't make it into the summary here.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week showed that while women are more likely than men to say they are "very willing" to change behavior to help the environment, they are less likely to have CFL bulbs at home. Wal-Mart company research shows a similar "disconnect" between the pro-environmental attitudes of women shoppers and their in-store purchases of CFL bulbs.

OK, that's just one poll (er, two). More evidence?

Utility company surveys show the same gender-based bulb-buying pattern in the Pacific Northwest, which has the highest CFL market share in the nation, about 11 percent. Men have been aware of CFLs longer than women, have bought them earlier and have installed more of them in the house than women, according to surveys that the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance has been conducting since 2004.

Well, maybe that's just because guys are more likely to follow "geek" stuff than women (statistically speaking). Any more statistics?

In groceries and drugstores, where 70 percent to 90 percent of light bulbs historically have been sold and where women usually have been the ones doing the buying, CFLs have not taken off nearly as fast as they have in home-improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowe's, where men do much of the shopping.

But apparently this article was just another anti-woman rant. Was there anything redeeming in there?

"The guy typically brings a CFL home and just screws it into a lamp in the bedroom, without discussing it with his wife," Ton said. "She walks in, turns on the light and boom -- there is trouble. That is where the negative impressions begin, especially when the guy puts it into the bedroom or the bathroom, the two most sacred areas of the home."

Ton advises husbands and wives "to talk about it before the light bulb is screwed in."

Horror of horrors! The article has the gall to suggest that couples should communicate before making decisions!!! How dare they?!?

It looks like he's about to be replaced as Broadsheet's resident angry male.

Compact flourescents? Folks, our post-global-warming valhalla will be lit with LED lighting, which is pleasing to all genders and increasingly just as easy to screw in as any ol' bulb.

People are trying to find ways of disposing of them safely because of some chemical or heavy metal or some such thing that leaches out into the ground. That might be cause for concern among some women.

...not to use CFL bulbs: quality of light.

My eyesight is not good, and in order to see reasonably well, my eyes need strong light. All the CFL bulbs I've encountered give off light that makes it very difficult for me to see by. Don't know if it's the color (though I doubt that) or simply the strength of the light, but until a CFL bulb is made that gives off light I can function by, I'm sticking with plain ol' incandescents.