Choosing LED is the only bright choice.

Light-emitting diodes, known as LEDs, have existed for more than 40 years, but only recent innovation and technology advances have made them bright enough to provide useful lighting in commercial and residential settings. Because the special semiconductor chips are made from ultra-high-purity materials under tightly controlled conditions, LEDs today:

• Are able to sustain high light output under demanding operating conditions
  
  
• Do not burn out instantaneously like normal light bulbs, but rather degrade over a period of many years or even decades of continuous operation, thus enabling nearly maintenance-free operation
  
  
• Are extremely efficient at converting electric power into visible light (currently up to 5x more efficient than standard light bulbs) as well as producing no infrared light that provides the warming effect experienced with normal filament-type bulbs

This high efficiency not only means lower energy consumption for the lighting itself, but less secondary heat generation as well.

After faithfully burning brightly for 5 to 10 years and only losing 20% to 30% of their initial brightness, when it does come time to take a LED out of service, one can safely and easily dispose of it through normal means. The tiny semiconductor chip is safely encapsulated and does not contain harmful materials such as argon that can be damaging to human health and the environment.