It is endlessly stated that incandescent light bulbs use vast quantities of electricity and damage the environment. Additionally the environmental activists have now lobbied government to legislate for the ban. This is a phased initiative to eliminate the use of incandescents and move to energy saving light bulbs. In this article I provide some data regarding how much you can reduce your carbon footprint by the change to energy saving light bulbs and how this economy compares with other C02 emission savings you can make by decreasing car travel or improved use of domestic electrical appliances.
Carbon footprint reductions from moving to energy saving light bulbs
You might well be curious how lamps can create carbon dioxide? Well they cannot and it is the electricity generating stations, which are normally oil or gas fired, which create the C02. Obviously if your electricity is generated by wave power, windmills or different green processes then C02 emissions will be very little. Lets now look at the data based on a usage of 4 hours per day and assuming you pay 13p per kW hour for electricity. In this case changing one traditional incandescent will save a phenomenal 100kg per year in carbon dioxide emissions.
Looking at the comparison with transportation and other ways to reduce my carbon footprint.
I am sure you are questioning if 100kg of carbon dioxide emissions is a cause for worry and also whether it is not possible to make these carbon footprint reductions through other modes as opposed to changing to energy saving light bulbs? In order to respond to these questions I will offer then following data for appraisal.
1. If you own a Ford Focus C-Max vehicle and you can arrange to drive 340 miles less every year then this is an equivalent saving as changing one of your bulbs to one of your energy saving light bulbs.
2. If you can alter your travel patterns to avoid 1000 miles of train travel, then this will save 100kg in C02 emissions. Energy saving light bulbs offer you a corresponding saving by just changing one!
3. If you fly from London to Glasgow on a full plane then this will result in the release of 100kg in C02.
Now with these choices then changing to energy saving light bulbs has got to be an easy winner.
Tags: energy saving, energy saving light bulb, energy saving light bulbs