Switch

Would you believe that switching from one light bulb to another can change your life?

Yes, you would, after listening to advocates of Bright Light talk about the advantages derived from switching from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

There’s the matter of reducing toxic substances in the air. Advocates cite the negative effect of using the wrong kind of light. With 10 incandescent bulbs, 328,984 kg. of harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted to the atmosphere. Now, if 10 people switch to CFLs, 270 acres of natural habitat can be preserved.

The Bright Light campaign is sponsored by Sun Life Foundation, Philips and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). With the partnership, the switch makes consumers enjoy discounts while becoming part of a global movement to lower CO2 discharges. High CO2 levels in the atmosphere cause global warming which leads to climate changes and abnormal weather conditions — which are already taking place today.

CFLs according to the partners, are energy-efficient alternatives to incandescent. By incandescent, they mean the yellow light bulbs that most of us have been using for years. The CFLs can last from 6,000 to 15,000 hours while using 80 percent less energy.

The aim (of Bright Light), says WWW Climate Change program head Yeb  Sano, “is to convert as many Filipinos to shift from using incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient fluorescent lamps by showing them just how much can be saved using CFLs.”

Bright Light targets the sale of 30,000 bulbs, which can spare the environment 96 million kg of CO2 dispersed in the atmosphere, says Yano. This effort is equivalent to conserving 1,200 football fields worth of Amazon rainforest.

Now, how does the shift affect the Filipinos’ lifestyle. It’s true that CFLs cost more than incandescent lamps, but in the long run, the savings are worth the initial sacrifice. I believe that in savings from using an efficient light system, they can afford to buy more essentials like food and clothes and other needs.

In fact, as an encouragement for Filipinos to make the switch, specially marked Bright Light Philips CFL bearing Sun Life Foundation and WWF logos will carry a P15 price cut. Aside from the monetary savings, Sun Life Foundation will donate P10 to WWF for every CFL bulb purchased during the campaign period. These specially marked CFLs are available at selected ACE hardware outlets. Johnny Cobangkiat is the owner of ACE hardware stores.

Eduardo Castillo Salem is the present executive director of Sun Life Foundation. Under his direction, Sun Life Financial Philippines became known as a socially responsible company. Henry Joseph M. Herrera is president and CEO of  SLFP.

Rico Gonzales, CEO of Philips Philippines, said at a press launch that Philips had no second thoughts about supporting the Bright Light campaign. He said, “It is very interesting to note that converting one 100W incandescent bulb to an 18W Philips CFL would give consumers 80 percent in energy savings if used for 12 hours a day. This means consumers can save up to P5,000 for one a half  years. If by the end of this campaign, 30,000 incandescent bulbs are converted to CFLs, imagine the  savings we gain and what great contribution we can give to society if these are re-channelled to fund more important basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing.”

“Given the difficulties in today’s economy and the threats of global warming, we need to be aware of what simple things we can do to make our lives better and make the earth livable for future generations.”

David O. Valdes is president and CEO of WWW-Philippines. Founded in 1961, WWF has become the world’s largest and most respected conservation organization and now operates in more than 100 countries, with the support of nearly 5 million people worldwide. Also known as Kabang Kalikasan ng Philipinas (KKP), it has been working as a national organization of the WWF network since 1997. Valdes said the organization’s conservation program places strong emphasis on the conservation of marine species and habitats and utilizes highly integrative and participatory approaches to find solutions that work for the environment and for the people that live and depend on it.

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Talking about light, a good many communities in Mindanao now enjoy electricity — through a solar power battery system. This has been possible with the partnership of the Department of Energy and the USAID-funded AMORE (Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy program).

Palimbang, one of the country’s off-grid municipalities in Sultan Kudarat province, is a grateful beneficiary of the AMORE program. Eighteen of its 40 villages have taken a giant leap into the 21st century, when AMORE brought light to 700 households in 2005.

Each home has a solar batter with enough power to light two light bulbs, a radio, and a black and white television set. Every energized home pays about $0.08 per charging. This is a great saving compared to the $4 per day to buy kerosene.

The AMORE program was established in 2002 as a rural electrification initiative guided by a cooperative agreement between USAID, the Department of Energy, the former Mirant Philippines Foundation, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Winrock International, a US-based non-profit organization. Since the program started, some 12,000 households in the remotest, poorest of the poor conflict-affected areas have been benefited.

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