Fresh AIRE

C...F...what?

That was the response I got when I gave my brother ‘props’ for having a CFL in his foyer light fixture.  I was having dinner with my brother recently and on the way out happened to look up and notice he has a CFL is his foyer light fixture.  Side note:  is this looking up motion a sign that I’ve become inherently attuned to energy devices?  Anyway, back to my story...upon seeing the CFL, I said, “Look at you with your CFL!”  After his initial retort, he and his wife explained that neither of them had ever changed that light bulb.  They have been living in that house for over 4 years!  What a great success story for CFLs!  That was case enough for them to consider future CFL purchases! 

Compact Floursent Bulb Recycling - Home Depot

While Arlington started a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb recycling program 2 months ago as noted in our previous post HERE, Home Depot really wins the big prize. 

As of yesterday you can bring used and unbroken CFL bulbs to the store’s returns desk. “The bulbs will then be managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance.”

"The CFL recycling program is another example of how The Home Depot is empowering customers to help make a difference in their own homes, and have less of an impact on the environment," said Ron Jarvis, senior vice president, Environmental Innovation. "With more than 75 percent of households located within 10 miles of a Home Depot store, this program is the first national solution to providing Americans with a convenient way to recycle CFLs."

At the same time, The Home Depot announced that by Fall 2008 light fixture showrooms in its US stores will be switched from incandescent bulbs to CFLs. The measure will save the company $16 million annually in energy costs.  This is yet another example of how being environmentally responsible has very tangible financial payback. 

You can still recycle your used CFL bulbs at these locations in Arlington; or just bring them with you on your next trip to Home Depot.

Additional Resources:

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/stage/pdf/cfl_recycle.pdf

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?&cm_sp=homepage%2d%5f%2dwk21%2d%5f%2dF1%2d%5f%2dCFL%5frecycling%5fat%5fTHD%5f062608%2d%5f%2dlearn%5fmore

At the same time, The Home Depot announced that by Fall 2008 light fixture showrooms in its US stores will be switched from incandescent bulbs to CFLs. The measure will save the company $16 million annually in energy costs.  This is yet another example of how being environmentally responsible has very tangible financial payback. 

You can still recycle your used CFL bulbs at these locations in Arlington; or just bring them with you on your next trip to Home Depot.

Additional Resources:

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/stage/pdf/cfl_recycle.pdf

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?&cm_sp=homepage%2d%5f%2dwk21%2d%5f%2dF1%2d%5f%2dCFL%5frecycling%5fat%5fTHD%5f062608%2d%5f%2dlearn%5fmore

Additional Resources:

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/stage/pdf/cfl_recycle.pdf

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?&cm_sp=homepage%2d%5f%2dwk21%2d%5f%2dF1%2d%5f%2dCFL%5frecycling%5fat%5fTHD%5f062608%2d%5f%2dlearn%5fmore

Another “Green” Friend?

I can’t take credit for turning another friend “green,” but I would certainly like to boast a bit about her efforts!  A very dear friend came to me recently and shared the details of an interview she saw on TV with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  In this interview, Julia listed off a host of tips anyone can employ to save energy and live more sustainably.  My friend was astonished by the amount of energy saved in one CFL (80%), and even more so by the impacts of using those pesty plastic bags at the grocery store:  those bags aren’t biodegradable, contribute to litter, harm animals, and require tremendous amounts of energy in camparison to reusable shopping bags. 

This simple interview really pushed my friend into action.  She’s trying CFLs now, considers reusable shopping bags, and, most notably, she’s looking at other ways to reduce her consumption.  She asked me recently, “are those plastic red party cups bad?”  She uses two of these cups a day, only once, and then discards them.  My answer, “YES!”  If you have to use them, reuse them.  But, better yet, get a reusable travel mug – stainless steel are best! 

Having worked in the environmental field for nearly 10 years now, you would think that my environmental habits would extend to all my family, friends and neighbors.  I do have my environmental peeps for sure, but I just don’t like to be pushy to those that aren’t.  My preferred approach is to brag about my “lighter shade of green” friends when they do truly wonderful things for our environment. 

Thanks Friend!

Compact Flourescent Bulbs - NOT kryptonite; a bright idea!

Thank you to all who visited us at the Home Show and Expo this past Saturday April 12.  The expo brought hordes of people out to receive one of the free compact fluorescent light bulbs we were offering to Arlington Residents. 

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are one simple nonsensical way you can lower your utility bill and reduce your emissions.  These bulbs use approximately 75% less power than a traditional incandescent and last up to 10 times longer.

What’s that you say?  But they are toxic and full of mercury – hardly?!  The media has stirred up quite a frenzy on the topic.  Here is the real story on compact fluorescent light bulbs.

They do indeed contain a small amount of mercury. On average they contain about 5mg of the stuff.   5 mg of mercury is equivalent to the size of the period at the end of this sentence.  That is a fraction of the amount of mercury they use in amalgam fillings for your teeth that reside IN YOUR MOUTH! 

CFL bulbs are far more rugged than a traditional bulb and the reality is there are many toxic substances in our homes.  From bleach and cleaning chemicals, mercury tilt switches in thermostats, paint, antifreeze, gasoline, etc.  CFL bulbs should be disposed of just as any other household hazardous waste AND NOW ARLINGTON IS MAKING IT EASIER TO DO SO!

Starting today (4/28/08) Arlington County has implemented a program for you to drop your old CFL bulbs off at the locations below.  SImply put any unbroken bulb in a zip lock bag and bring it to any of the locations below:

• Arlington’s semi-annual E-CARE recycling events in April and October
• The circulation desk at one of three Arlington libraries: the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street), Aurora Hills Library (735 S. 18th Street), or Government Reference Library (2100 Clarendon Blvd, 1st floor lobby).

• HHM recycling station at the Water Pollution Control Plant on Saturdays and by appointment Monday-Friday.
• Solid Waste Bureau at 4300 South 29th Street 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday.

Lastly, please take a look at our CFL fact sheet.  There are significant benefits to both the environment in reduced mercury expelled from coal fired power plants and to your utility bills by using these compact fluorescent bulbs.  Arlington County encourages all residents to use these bulbs and dispose of them properly.  If you have questions please contact us at->  climate@Arlingtonva.us

I'm So Proud!

Although my family has always been supportive of my career choice, they have never really understood my interest and motivation in working to “protect the environment.”  But, after more than 14 years of studying and working in the field, I think they’re starting to come around and I’m just so proud! 

I’ve long been deemed the “tree-hugger” in my family and quite frankly, very proud of that.  I wear it like a badge of honor.  Wearing this badge means that I often have to remind my mom to “turn off the faucet” when she cleans up the kitchen counters, tell my dad to “turn off the light” when he leaves a room, or urge my brother to “recycle that bottle” when he’s about to throw one in the trash can.  I try not to nag, but I do look for these instances where an opportunity presents itself and I jump right on in with my two cents.  The best part of wearing this badge is that it has actually rubbed off in some way. 

The best example of this is the decision my parents made in 2003 to buy a Honda Civic Hybrid.  Now, we can’t forget one of the major factors in this decision – the allowance to use the HOV lanes!  Nor can we forget the bottom line benefit of money saved at the pump (the car averages about 40 mpg).  But, we should focus on the fact that by owning this car, my parents are continuing to prevent an enormous amount of harmful emissions that would have otherwise gone into our air.  The decision, as my parents like to say, was a “no brainer.” 

Another example is the fact that my mom now not only looks for CFLs instead of traditional incandescent bulbs, which is a huge leap in itself, she even knows to look for the ENERGY STAR label on the package.  For those not familiar, ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.  You can now find the ENERGY STAR label on over 50 product categories as well as buildings (commercial, institutional, and industrial) and homes.  Now, my mom may not know the details of ENERGY STAR, but she recognizes that the cyan blue label means something important.  She understands that it means it will save her money and allow her to one way to “do her part.” 

Rule of Thumb #5 - Your Couch Doesn't Care

Ceiling fan tip. Ceiling fans do not cool the air. However, they do cool you.  Ceiling fans work by moving air around.  Humans feel more comfortable in the heat when the air is moving. You've probably noted that you can sit outside on your deck in 82-degree weather and feel terrifically comfortable, but 82 degrees inside your house is uncomfortably warm. That's because outside the air is moving, and it makes you feel cooler.

So inside your house you can feel cooler, too, by using fans to move the air. Then you can turn up the thermostat a couple of degrees and save on air conditioning. It does absolutely no good, though, to leave a fan on in a room where there are no people. In fact, it's counterproductive, because the fan is using electricity and providing no benefit. Your couch does not care that the fan is on, and it does not feel any cooler. It's true: I asked it.

So use your ceiling fans to keep you cooler, but turn them off when there are no people around to keep cool.
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Steve Offutt, Arlington resident and Director - Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE), Transportation Projects
Oh, and hey!  If your ceiling fan has lights, change them out for more efficient CFLs too.

Rule of Thumb #4 - Ignore Advice

You've heard the advice about compact-fluorescent (CFL) bulbs: replace your frequently used lights with these, and you'll save money, energy and reduce global warming pollutants.

Well, I'm going to tell you to stop taking this advice. Instead, replace all your lights with CFLs.

In the old days when they cost $15, the original advice was fine. Now that you can purchase them for as little as $2 or $3 apiece, that advice no longer holds. It now makes more sense to replace them all.

“But they woe-on’t last as lo-onng,” you’ll hear people whine. Let’s do the numbers.

Assume that you have a 60-watt light that you switch on five times a day for two minutes each time (ten minutes total per day). You replace it with a 15-watt CFL that costs $3. Because of frequent switching, let’s assume its lifetime is hugely reduced by 75% to 2000 hours instead of 8000.

Your annual return on investment for that bulb is 5%-15% depending on your electricity rates and, dang, it will only last you for 33 years before you have to replace it. It might not be the 50% return you’ll get from some of your other fixtures, but it’s still a no-brainer. For a couple hundred dollars you can probably change out your whole house (a little more if you buy more expensive dimmables and 3-ways; visit www.efi.org for a good selection of bulbs). What are you waiting for? The climate to change?

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Steve Offutt, Arlington resident and Director - Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE), Transportation Projects

Greening My Condo

Quick! Think of an “environmentally-friendly home.” What image came to your mind – a single-famiy house with lots of trees, right? Well, sure, but as I learned last night, we condo dwellers are already environmentally-friendly, just by living in denser quarters, with shared resources and almost always near transit. And since 61% of Arlingtonhomes are multi-family (vs. 28% single-family detached), it makes sense for Arlington and AIRE to reach out to condo residents.

As a fairly recent condo convert (2 years ago), my husband and I feel pretty good about how our move has reduced our environmental impact: we’ve eliminated two cars; adopted bike riding for pleasure and errands; begun walking to work; begun walking to the grocery store, post office, pharmacy, and coffee shop.

And inside our condo unit, we’ve swapped out almost all the light bulbs for CFLs; wrapped an insulating “blanket” on our hot water heater; recycled everything we’re able to, including the ubiquitous plastic bag; stopped buying bottled water; and adjusted our thermostat.

But last night, at AIRE’s “Greening Your Condo Association” seminar, I learned that each of us has a responsibility – and a voice – to ensure that our buildings are as green as they can be. Environmentally-friendly actions benefit the bottom line and can help keep condo fees lower. For example: installing CFLs in hallways and common areas; encouraging the planting of drought-resistant and native plants; educating and encouraging residents on recycling of appropriate items.

In fact, some condo and apartment residents have the opportunity to positively influence the “greener” landscaping on a much larger piece of land – some up to 20+ acres! – than an individual house. The photo shows a “bird-friendly” garden planted at The Arlington condos near Shirlington.

To make an even bigger impact, residents can encourage the condo association to get an energy audit or make some investments into energy efficiencies, e.g., replacing a common boiler or furnace with an energy-efficient model. One participant last night spoke about making his condo building’s needed new roof more energy efficient or perhaps even a “green roof.”

It was great to see so many condo residents at the session last night – I’d say there were at least 50-60 in attendance – and folks are very enthusiastic and eager to do what they can to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints. For the AIRE team, this was just the beginning of an environmental dialogue with the condo community.

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Diana Sun
Director of Communications, Arlington County

Reduce Mercury - Install CFLs

Here's the counterintuitive fact of the day:
Installing CFLs reduces the amount of mercury entering our environment.
It's true that CFLs contain mercury--about 4 milligrams per bulb.  However, the largest source of mercury pollution is the burning of coal in power plants. Mercury pollution from power plants is also worse, because the emissions are completely uncontrolled.  Once it gets in the air, we have no control over where it ends up.
This chart (from an EPA fact sheet), shows the emissions of mercury that come from generating the electricity for an incandescent is greater than the total mercury from the CFL.  If everyone switched out their lights for CFLs, the total mercury emitted to our environment would be reduced by thousands of pounds.

Mercury is a significant neurotoxin and overall bad pollutant, so be sure to take care when disposing of it (BTW - a watch battery has 5 times the mercury of a CFL, and an old style mercury thermostat--which you may still have on your wall--has 400 times that in a CFL.  Dispose of these items properly, too).

So it's a win-win-win-win: a no-brainer, really.  Change out as many lights as possible with more efficient lighting, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce mercury and other air pollutants, save money, and help Arlington County reduce its overall carbon footprint by contributing to AIRE.

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by Steve Offutt, Arlington

Where Do CFLs Go When They Kick the Dust?

They sure DON'T go in the trash! (A CFL's glass tubing contains a small amount of mercury, a toxic metal.) But a question I've heard so often in the last few weeks is where does an Arlington County resident dispose of dead CFL bulbs? Here's the answer:

• You can bring them to the semi-annual E-CARE recycling event. And get rid of other yucky items at the same time, such as old paint cans, pesticides, fuels and more. Read details.
• OR, bring your old CFLs to the HHM (household hazardous materials) recycling station at the Water Pollution Control Plant on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.. The HHM entrance is at 3155 S. Fern St, at the intersection of South Fern Street and South Glebe Road. Learn more.

P.S. The packaging on CFLs also includes information how to find disposal locations.