A brilliant idea

Dalhousie student Ben Irvine with an old incandescent bulb and a CFL. (Nick Pearce Photo)

If you’ve ever wondered what you could do to help the environment look no further than the Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulb Exchange event happening Thursday, Nov 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The project was spearheaded by seven Dalhousie students taking Nature Conservation (BIOL 3601), with a helping hand from the Office of Sustainability. The initiative has since grown to include groups such as Conserve Nova Scotia, SustainDal and the Dalhousie University Human Resources Department.

Rochelle Owen, director of Dal’s Office of Sustainability, is happy to see students taking the lead.  “We want students to think about things to do for environment conservation either on a group level or on an individual level,” says Ms. Owen.

Booths will be set up in the Student Union Building, the Tupper cafeteria, the main entrance to Fenwick and Building A at Sexton Campus. Students and staff are encouraged to bring in an incandescent light bulb in exchange it for a CFL. 

“Small changes throughout the year can make big differences for the environment,” says Owen.“A CFL uses two thirds to 75 per cent less energy than an incandescent light bulb and lasts 10 times as long.”

The CFL Exchange is part of The Hour’s & Cisco’s One Million Acts of Change program launched in October to get Canadians to do their part to help the environment. As of Monday, 299,094 acts of green have been recorded, saving a total of 14,507,255 kg of greenhouse gases.

LINKS: Dal's Office of Sustainability | One Million Acts of Green campaign