A compact fluorescent bulb produces light through an electrical process. The efficiency of electronics produces more light with less energy. There are many different kinds of compact fluorescent bulbs. Lights of America makes one that is covered with a round bulb and so looks like a regular bulb. Slyvania and GE also make them, they are available at hardware stores, home improvement centers, and Sears.
Most stores carry only one brand.
However, do not use compact florescent bulbs with a dimmer switch or electronic timers. Because compact fluorescent bulbs last much longer than do incandescent bulbs, their use averts the need for 10-13 times their weight in metal, glass, and packaging from entering landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a total switch to energy-efficient lighting would keep 202 million tons of carbon dioxide, 1.3 million tons of sulfur dioxide, and 600,000 tons of nitrogen oxides out of the atmosphere. If all U.S. households replaced one incandescent bulb with one compact fluorescent bulb, one nuclear power plant could be shut down. If U.S. homes replaced all of the 500 million incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones, the U.S. instantly would be an energy-exporting nation.