From The Port

Seeing the light

Here are a couple of compact flourescents that you may have heard about. This is one design out of many. Some have a squiggly shape, some look like regular light bulbs, and some are elaborate ceiling fixtures, enclosing compact flourescents specifically for mounting to replace your "old" flourescent fixture. Some older fixtures may have difficulty accepting some of these new compacts, so try several designs until you get one that fits. I switched to compacts many years ago, and have seen great progress in their design. I have four rooms, two lavs and a basement and use 15 compacts.

The main reason I switched was for energy savings. The compacts use less energy, therefore are less expensive to use. Folks also point out they are good for the environment. Councilor Henrietta Davis has informed us that N-Star has a program where they give compact lights free to schools for groups like the boy scouts to sell for $3.00 each. Sue Butler of Green Decade informed us they can be purchased for $0.99.

I have repetedly requested that these environmentally friendly energy savers be given free to seniors and PWDs living on extreemly low, fixed income. They could be distributed through programs we have already established, such as the Food Pantry at the Senior Center, the City's Snow Exemption Program, and the Fuel Assistance Program. All three of these programs screen folks, so folks who qualify for these programs should recieve free compacts so we can all practice energy saving, environmentally friendly reading.

posted by Kathy Podgers @ Wednesday, November 15, 2006