How many people does it take to change a light bulb?
Proponents of Project Porchlight hope the answer is millions.
With its partners, and thousands of volunteers, the program intends to deliver more than 1.5 million compact fluorescent light bulbs in four provinces and two American states.
Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario participated in the campaign, which is an initiative of an organization called One Change.
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The project began in 2004 when founder Stuart Hickox discovered a statistic: if every Canadian household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb, the resulting reduction in pollution would be the same as taking 66,000 cars off the road.
That’s because CFL bulbs use 66 percent less electricity.
He thought that would be one easy change people could make to benefit the environment and save money.
Patricia Crowe, Project Porchlight campaign manager in Saskatchewan, said all 200,000 bulbs allocated to the province had been distributed by the end of Canadian Western Agribition last month.
“We really tried to reach as many rural people as we could,” she said.
The project was volunteer based and relied on community events such as fall suppers where the bulbs could be distributed in large numbers. But some people went house to house on their mission.
For example, two volunteers in St. Brieux, Sask., went to all 159 houses in the community.
Crowe said it was more difficult to reach farmers and ranchers.
Rural residents also face the problem of what to do with CFL bulbs that have burned out. They contain a small amount of mercury and should not be thrown in the garbage when they stop working.
“The biggest challenge for rural areas is recycling,” Crowe said.
While urban residents have easy access to the recycling areas at stores like Rona and Home Depot, rural residents have fewer options.
Some communities organize hazardous waste collection days when the bulbs could be collected.
As well, Crowe said Federated Co-operatives is considering a recycling program through its outlets.
She said people should use CFL bulbs because they will save money in the long run. The average home has about 40 bulbs, and they account for about 21 percent of household electricity used each month.
“A 60-watt incandescent bulb you buy for 50 cents can cost you another $4.90 in electricity before it has to be replaced,” said Natural Resources Canada’s website.
CFLs cost more to buy but last up to eight times longer.
The project estimates that replacing 40 bulbs in a house results in savings of $40 per bulb for a household total of $1,600.
Some people complain that CFL bulbs aren’t bright enough. Crowe said they have to make sure they choose the correct types.
Warmer tones are better for inside, while the cooler, whiter toned bulbs are good for reading and daylight tones are best for bright lighting situations.
Larry Christie, spokesperson for SaskPower, said purchasers should also look for Energy Star approved bulbs, which meet electricity-saving standards and carry a minimum warranty of three to seven years.
Rural homeowners who want to use a CFL bulb in their yard lights will have to check with local stores for availability.
“Certain bulbs cannot be used in an enclosure,” Christie added. “You always have to check with the manufacturer’s recommendation.”
SaskPower supported Project Porchlight in the province. The project there has just wrapped up.
