With our current consuming habits and our over-the-top carbon footprint, we have exceeded the world’s bio-capacity by so much that, unknowingly, we’re reducing the ability of new generations to sustain themselves. And by new generations, we don’t mean descendants so far away from you that they’d live in a Jetson’s universe. We mean generations with which you cross paths every day: your children, nephews and students. The hardship will be felt while they can still look us in the eye.
According to WWF’s Living Planet Report – the go-to guide for any conscientious consumer – our Ecological footprint is borderline scandalous. When comparing the total of our demands with the Earth’s regenerative capacity, WWF’s team of experts calculated that we would need four Earths to be able to regenerate our annual consumption.
It all sounds so big, doesn’t it? What impact can I have, a lone individual on such a global issue? You, on your own, probably not much. However, you and your family, friends, neighbors and school added up—now that’s synergy!
For your beginners guide to becoming more eco-friendly, we’ve put together eight starter steps to make a shift to a greener lifestyle. It requires a FREE membership to our exclusive area. Not a member yet? What are you waiting for? Click on the appropriate button below to become a member and/or read our 8 simple steps.
Become a Member Read “8 Steps to a Greener Life”
To kick start your change, you can measure how much you’re a part of the problem, by knowing your carbon footprint. Not sure what it is? Use our FREE calculator. The average person in the United States generates about 20 tons of CO2, each year. Did you know that 100 kg of CO2 are produced by one single incandescent light bulb? Just one. How many bulbs do you have at home and at your office?
Taking its international commitments to lower its carbon footprint very seriously, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined an ambitious campaign – Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR – to promote energy saving appliances, buildings, plants and products all across the United States. You have probably seen the blue Energy Star seal of approval on your fridge and washing machine. If you haven’t, you might want to rethink a new model.
In line with the enlightening Energy Star campaign, and setting the pace for technological advances, General Electric has raised the bar in household energy efficiency with a glowing, top-of-the-line range of light bulbs. Incandescent bulbs are a thing of the past. Just take a look at what GE’s innovative technology has in store for you and why 3,287,330 people have joined the Energy Star pledge.
GE Lighting offers an extensive variety of general purpose lighting options, for use in common household fixtures; whether it’s a bulb for a table lamp, chandelier, indoor and outdoor flood lights. You can expect practical function and innovative technology with the power to showcase your home in its best light with the clean, GE Reveal bulbs. Or energy-efficient soft white bulbs and energy smart – Bright From the Start- compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Plus, some GE energy smart LED bulbs are engineered to last more than 20 years.
Step 1 to greener living: Efficient bulbs
Changing incandescent light bulbs to LED, compact fluorescent or halogen lights, saves at least 25% of energy from the moment you install them. If all households in America changed their common light bulbs to energy-saving ones, we would prevent 15-million tons of CO2 emissions per year.
To top it off, these replacements have longer lives than their frail incandescent cousins; rightly so, the energy savings increases. Longer lasting lamps mean less production and waste, which translates into even less emissions. Now that’s a bright idea!
LED
The most energy-efficient light bulbs are the light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. They can use 75% less energy than traditional light bulbs and last 25 years on average. These lamps light up by running an electrical current through a semiconductor material that illuminates the diodes. LEDs, interestingly, aren’t white. They light up amber, green, red or blue, and they have to be mixed to come up with white.
LED lamps have become very popular; especially after being vouched for by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Energy Star program. They estimate if people keep on changing their traditional lamps to LEDs, we could save about $265 billion in energy costs and prevent the construction of 40 new power plants.
LED lamps are still being developed for better efficiency, lower costs and better performance. Leading in the field, GE has developed a range of energy-smart light bulbs that have nifty details lacking in generic LEDs. First, GE’s save 80% of energy, certified by the Energy Star campaign. They are dimmable and shed a warm soft light – as opposed to the blinding white one. Indoors, outdoors, table lamps, chandeliers—you name it. Our favorite part? Their 5-year warranty. Imagine not having to buy new light bulbs for 5 years. Brilliant!
For adding sophisticated spotlights to your home, Kichler has accent lights in bronze colors that work great for showing off paintings and creating moods. Or how about flanking the road to your door with Murray Feiss post lanterns? Talk about classy!
CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights)
Compact fluorescent lights work by running an electric current through a tube–usually a spiral one–that contains argon and mercury vapor; which then lights up the fluorescent coating, instead of the tube. This light burns brighter than the GE Reveal, producing 900 lumens with 13 watts of power. Energy efficient and cheaper upfront, CFL’s are great bulbs on a budget.
Mercury vapor is toxic, so these bulbs have to be disposed of in a special way. CFL light bulbs have to be intact, if possible, for recycling. There are local waste collection agencies that do pick-up services per area; but this might just happen once or twice a year. So if you opt for this solution, you might have to store your light bulbs somewhere safe until collection. Alternatively, some local retailers have in-store recycling bins. This might be more convenient than holding onto your waste for a long time.
It is important to know that if a CFL bulb breaks, you’ll need to take some safety measures. First, evacuate the room and let it air for 10 minutes. This includes taking Fido with you; don’t leave any animals behind. Turn off the AC or anything that can carry fumes around your house. Carefully collect any materials from the broken bulb and put them in a jar or sealable bag. Once sealed, proceed to recycle or dispose of the bulb like described before.
A downside of the traditional CFL’s is they take from 30 seconds to 3 minutes to warm up and become fully bright. However, GE has solved the problem by adding a bit of halogen that allows your CFL to light up from the moment you flip the switch. These GE Reveal “Bright from the Start” bulbs, use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 8-times longer.
For a touch of ambient illumination and style, Kichler has a range of high décor CFL lamps that can be fixed to your wall. Then add your favorite CFL to this stunning piece of eye candy.
Hybrid
True, halogen lamps are still incandescent. However, they are more resistant and hold a special halogen gas composition around the heated tungsten filament that increases efficiency.
Though they do heat up, they have a smaller carbon footprint than normal light bulbs. They have better luminescence and color temperature than CFL and LEDs, but they can heat up to such temperatures that they are too hot to handle. They’re still used in cooking ovens, so you can imagine just how toasty they can become.
However, GE has come up with the perfect solution: a hybrid CFL-halogen lamp. It has less mercury content than a regular CFL lamp and doesn’t heat up like a halogen lamp. The 100W-equivalent lamps haven’t hit the market yet, but GE has announced that when they do, they’ll last for over 7 years and save you around $39 in energy over the life of the bulb.
Do you want to shed some light on how you can contribute to reducing your carbon footprint in the world, or would you like to save more money on your electric bill? Take advantage of some freebies in my FREE membership area. As a valued member, you will be able to calculate your carbon footprint and receive cutting-edge information on how to live a greener lifestyle in a modern world.
Ready to make a change? Join the 3,287,330 people who have already vowed to make a difference, by taking the Energy Star pledge today. We’re positive that being carbon neutral is the brightest choice.