I just need a light

I want to talk directly to the Environment. It's not that I don't like you. I do. I really do. It's just that I want my dimmer lights back. I want them back in a baaaad way. I can't take it anymore.

We are trying to be green.

The kids have mastered turning off the faucet while they brush their teeth (now, if I could get them to turn out the light when they leave the bathroom).

My husband and I have been known to have fights in front of the trash can because he has thrown something I consider highly recyclable into the trash bin instead of the recycling bin.

Our carpet is made of recycled materials.

I forced my husband to use no-VOC paint in the dining room and living room. I'm living with the crappy results. I try to clean off the marks on the walls that happen every time you touch them. 

I've switched the soaps in the house to a natural, clean environment kind, even though the glass cleaner is questionable and my windows have streaks. (Please keep the windshield streaks in mind if you step in front of my van in the early morning when the sun hits it just right...)

We seldom use Ziploc bags. We've been using that good old Tupperware that's been in the cupboard for years. The kids have to sign a waiver if they try to take an extra bag.

We take our reusable bags to the grocery store, Target, wherever (you should have seen the looks we get at the mall).

But the CFLs are making me crazy. We changed over the whole house. I know. I know. They are more efficient. You can save lots of money. They last longer. Blah, blah, blah.

I don't think it is true. I think it's a big fat lie. 

We've replaced more CFLs this year than we've replaced regular light bulbs in the past. And let me say the cost of the CFLs sort of mitigates any savings we are getting on the electricity bill.

Not to mention the mercury in the CFLs which means you can't just toss it in the trash can. And DON'T accidently drop it and create a hazardous waste situation (I'm just saying...).

And truthfully, I hate the CFLs in my dimmers. The package says they work, but my eyes say differently. I know I'm getting older and bifocals are no doubt just around the corner, but I know when the dimmer isn't working. I may use the dimmer switch, but the light is either on or off. There's not a lot of in-between (at least without a serious case of the flickers).

So, Environment (and I know I'm letting Al Gore down here) can I have my dimmer lights back? Can all that other stuff count for something? I promise to use them sparingly. 

Please?????