Letter from the Chair

Light Bulbs Help Keep Cities Cool

(There's a prize involved)
 

You can't tell it from the weather report, but Dallas and some other North Texas communities are on their way to becoming "Cool Cities".

As North Texas mayors are demonstrating, we don't have to wait for federal leadership in order to take action on global warming. Leading mayors are setting an example for their peers by signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and taking steps to reduce global warming emissions through energy efficiency.

The Dallas Sierra Club applauds local mayors who are showing such leadership, and through the Cool Cities campaign we intend to persuade other mayors to follow their lead. Mayors of Arlington, Dallas, Denton, Euless, Hurst and Frisco have signed on; we are now reaching out to 22 additional mayors with the message that energy efficiency is as good for their budget as it is for the climate.

What are some of the things cities like Dallas are doing?

Cities, like individuals, often start by picking the "low-hanging fruit". Take light bulbs, for instance. They matter – a lot. Replacing old traffic lights with energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) models is saving cities lots of money on their electric bills. Next time you're sitting at a red light, look at the bulb. Is it the old familiar floodlight type or one that has many pinpoints of light? The latter are the new LED bulbs.

Retrofitting existing buildings with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) also saves cities money. Constructing new buildings to the highest efficiency standards is catching on around the country. The city of Dallas is saving approximately $1/4 million each year on electricity costs for its new LEED-certified Jack Evans Police Headquarters.

Here's why light bulbs matter. Saving electricity avoids tons of greenhouse gas emissions from fuel sources like coal and natural gas. According to the Sierra Club, "If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal the removal of one million cars from the road."

Politicians who only promote supply-side solutions (like greenhouse gas-spewing coal plants) without addressing the demand side of the equation aren't showing the same kind of gutsy leadership that our local mayors are demonstrating. They think Vice President Cheney is right when he dismisses conservation as merely a "personal virtue". We know better. Listen to New York Times columnist Tom Friedman: "Being green, focusing the nation on greater energy efficiency and conservation, is not some girlie-man issue. It is actually the most tough-minded, geostrategic, pro-growth and patriotic thing we can do."

So are you ready to change your light bulbs yet?

I hereby launch my Dallas Sierra Club Light Bulb Challenge to see who among our members can show the greatest coverage of indoor light fixtures with CFLs. Count your indoor standard-size, non-decorative receptacles. Clip and mail the response form below (or email the information to me) by December 1 telling me how many receptacles you have and how many of those now have CFLs. The member with the highest percentage will get a $50 cash prize, their picture in The Compass, free admission to our Holiday Party and fawning recognition in a future Letter from the Chair.

So replace some light bulbs and remove the equivalent of millions of cars' greenhouse gas emissions. Pick the low-hanging fruit, then reach a little higher for the next juicy piece. If we're going to ask our mayors to lead, we have to be willing to walk the talk.

Ann Drumm
Dallas Sierra Club Chair
214-350-6108
email Ann

To enter, send the following information to Ann Drumm, 4340 Valley Ridge Rd, Dallas TX 75220-1928 or to the email address above:

- your name and address

- The number of CFLs you have

- divided by the number of standard indoor sockets

- = Percentage of sockets with CFLs