Dec

3

Ho, Ho to a Greener Christmas

Posted by maureen

December 3, 2007 |

Three cheers for Mayor Bloomberg and his efforts towards a greener Christmas. Mayor Bloomberg is one of several American mayors promoting energy conservation and environmental programs. This included the use of energy –efficient lighting powered by solar panels for the New York’s famous Christmas tree as part of a refurbishing at Rockefeller Center to conserve energy.

The Norway spruce was lit on November 28 and uses 30,000 LEDs strung on 5 miles of wire. These energy efficient bulbs pack a big energy saving. They will save as much electricity per day as a single family in a 2,000 square foot home uses in a month. Now when you stop to think about it you can see how the little things really add up.

I know that many cities are following suit. Old Colorado City, a historic district in Colorado Springs, is using LEDs this year and expects an electric bill of just $26,
Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati also is making the switch for its 40-foot tree.
About 35% of the 1 million lights the Toledo, Ohio, Zoo uses each holiday season are LEDs,

All this is heartening news but why isn’t the government pushing for all of us to do just a little more? One of the simplest and most effective things we can do as households is to change the light bulbs we buy. You will use 75% or 80% less electricity by replacing your classic incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs that emit the same light, Those quirky ice cream cone looking bulbs can make a huge difference in your quest for savings in energy consumption and electric bills.

What that means is that if every one of 110 million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people.In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads. Those are numbers that cannot be ignored.

Now that would be a project worth getting behind.


Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind

<< Post Navigation >>

« « Medicare Update | Boomer Targets (So What’s New about That?) » »