Montpelier CFL campaign kickoff at noon this Thursday
Sean Sheehan
Meeting have emerged from summer and burst into action. The CFL group
is one such team. This Thursday they're launching a campaign to change
20,000 lights in Montpelier! Come join them at 12 noon on Thursday,
November 1st at the Christ Church pocket park (rain location – inside
the front entryway in City Hall). Speakers will include:
* Mary Hooper, Mayor, City of Montpelier
* Gary Law, Manager, Aubuchon Hardware, Montpelier
* Students from Union Elementary School, Main Street Middle
School, and the Montpelier High School
* Joan Misek-Wells, Program Director, VT Community Stewardship
Program/ AmeriCorps
If you can make it, great. If not, we hope you can still help spread the word.
PRESS RELEASE -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Paul Markowitz, Montpelier Energy Team (802) 229-6307
Date: 11/1/07
Montpelier Citizens Group Launches "Lighten-Up, Montpelier!" Campaign
Montpelier, VT – A Montpelier citizens' group -- combining
forces with local merchants, students, AmeriCorps members, and the
City of Montpelier – announced today a new campaign to replace 20,000
inefficient, incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficiency compact
fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Called "Lighten Up, Montpelier!," the
campaign will feature door-to-door sales by Montpelier students,
discounted bulb sales at a local retail stores, and direct bulb
installation in senior and low-income housing. If the 20,000 bulb
goal is met, Montpelier residents and businesses will reduce their
releases of carbon dioxide by almost 4,000 tons and their energy bills
by over $800,000 over the life of the bulbs.
"Montpelier residents and businesses can lighten their energy
bills and lighten their impact on the earth by replacing incandescent
bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs," said Mayor Mary Hooper. "This
is something we can all do today to make a difference to reduce global
climate change and save money."
Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs saves both money and
energy. Over its lifetime, one compact fluorescent bulb eliminates
the need for eight incandescent bulbs and saves more than $30.
Further, by reducing energy usage, residents help the environment by
reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
CFLs are now available in many different sizes and shapes, and
residents and businesses can obtain them in a number of ways. First,
students from Montpelier public schools will be going to door-to-door
selling bulbs and raising money for good causes. Also, several local
retail establishments are selling bulbs at a discount rate, including
Aubuchon Hardware ($.99 cents) and Hunger Mountain Coop ($1.50 with
coupon).
In addition, the Vermont Community Stewardship Program is
organizing AmeriCorps members in Montpelier and statewide to install
lightbulbs in senior and low-income housing. "This type of effort
aligns perfectly with our dual mission to support residents of
affordable housing while being responsible stewards of the land," said
Joan Misek-Wells, Director with the Vermont Community Stewardship
Program.
Importantly, residents can now bring their used CFLs to Aubuchon
Hardware in Montpelier free-of-charge. CFL's contain a small amount
of mercury (a toxic substance) that needs to be managed properly.
Residents should be sure that their CFLs are unbroken when they bring
back used bulbs so that the mercury doesn't escape. For more details
on mercury recovery, please contact www.mercvt.org.
Lighten-Up, Montpelier! is sponsored by the Montpelier Energy
Team – a volunteer group of citizens promoting a sustainable energy
future for Montpelier, in partnership with Efficiency Vermont.