Effort Promotes Switch to CFLs (3/5/07)

A new group of organizations and individuals committed to energy efficiency launched a nationwide effort last week to raise awareness of the benefits of switching to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Called the 18Seconds movement, the group emphasizes that one small action – taking just 18 seconds to replace a conventional incandescent bulb with an ENERGY STAR^®-labeled CFL – can dramatically cut energy use and benefit the environment.

The movement is accompanied by a new web site that uses data provided by major retailers and compiled by The Nielsen Company to track the number of CFLs purchased throughout the United States since January 1st. Visit the 18Seconds web site.

The 18Seconds network is a broad group of companies, government entities, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, academic institutions, and individuals working together to educate U.S. residents about the benefits of CFLs, which require one-third the energy of traditional bulbs to provide the same amount of light.

If every U.S. household swapped just one bulb for a CFL, it would collectively save them more than $8 billion in energy costs, prevent burning 30 billion pounds of coal, and keep two million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere.

In addition, the energy saved would be enough to meet the electricity needs of 1.5 million homes, more than all the homes in Delaware and Vermont combined.