Planet Ark in conjunction with Philips, sent me through some information today about Energy Saving Lighting, and they granted me permission to reproduce their information. The Australian Federal Government's ban on the import of incandescent lighting is only weeks away, so I thought it would be amiss of me not to help promote these resource saving devices.
These types of lights bulbs are better known as Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL). Right back at the start of my journey, one of the very first actions we took was to change as many of the incandescent light bulbs around our house, to CFL's. We were very surprised to find that we could find a CFL to suit every single shape and fitting that we required.
According to Paul Klymenko, Research Director at Planet Ark, consumers have expressed many questions and uncertainties regarding the imminent ban of incandescent lighting and the reliability, quality and versatility of energy saver lighting.
“Incandescent bulbs are based on old technology, and about 95 percent of energy is wasted as heat. Given the seriousness of the energy/climate change issue, it is not sustainable to continue with the incandescent lamp. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL), known to many people as energy saver lighting, have many long term advantages for consumers and businesses and despite a number of myths floating around, they are the best option and can cater to a variety of lighting needs.”
So, according to Planet Ark and Philips, the 7 myths on energy saver lighting that seem to concern consumers most are:
Myth 1: They’re too expensive - This is like saying modern fuel efficient car is expensive compared to an old V8 gas-guzzler. That’s because you would be ignoring the energy (petrol) costs of running it. Replacing incandescent with good quality CFL’s is one of the best money saving investments you will ever make in the long run.
Myth 2: I don’t like the look of them - While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is fair to say that until recently the design of CFLs was very different from traditional bulbs. There are many new designs that are much more aesthetically appealing and, in many cases, are more compact. Some styles are indistinguishable from incandescent -www.philips.com.au/about/news/lighting_globe_range
Myth 3: They can’t be dimmed - This used to be true but a range of dimmable CFL options are now available. These will work on the majority of dimmer circuits and are available in different colours and as bayonet or screw fittings.
Myth 4: They don’t last as long as they say - The high quality brands will usually last more than the stated average life of 6,000 hrs and usually come with some form of guarantee. It is often the cheaper, no-name brands that are less reliable as they use much lower quality components – you get what you pay for.
Myth 5: They give a harsh white light - This is only partly true and is caused by many consumers being unaware that CFL’s come in variety of colours and therefore pick the wrong CFL for the task.
Myth 6: A broken globe can contaminate your entire home - This is one of the great urban myths and is WRONG - to have a chance of making this myth possible you would have to break a globe daily in every room of your house and not open the windows. High quality bulbs tend to contain lower levels of mercury than some of the cheaper, less reliable brands – CFL bulbs have been used safely around the world for over 25 years.
Myth 7: They contain mercury which makes them worse for the environment - It is so important that we all care for our environment. By switching to CFLs you will actually prevent much more toxic mercury from being released into the air from coal fired power plants than is contained in the energy saver bulbs themselves.
Michael Downie, General Manager Philips Lighting Australia, says that energy saving lighting options have come a long way since they were first developed and the perceptions that some consumers have about them are now old-fashioned.
“The energy saving lighting options available today do not compromise on looks, technology or efficiency. At Philips we have worked really hard to produce a like-for-like range where energy saving options are available to replace the soon to be phased out varieties with the reliability and safety of old products at a fraction of the energy consumption and total life cost.”
Here are a few facts of my own. I have owned one of the original CFL's made by Philips for about 11 years. It is still going strong, and I have it lighting my east facing veranda. It is a warm white type, and has a softer light than normal regular fluro's that we were all used to in the initial days of these devices. All in all, a good reliable light.
Because we replaced the CFL's as one of our first actions, we noticed about 1 kWh drop in energy consumption in the first week. This had to coincide with the replacement of the incandescent bulbs, because it is the only variable that changed during that week of measurement. I remember that we had two 40 watt incandescents that were left on all night for an average of 12 hours each. That means that we used 350 kWh each year just on these two night lights. Compare that to the two 5 watt CFL's we replaced them with, which use a total of 43 kWh per year, that is a saving of 307 kWh of electricity per year or @ 15.77 cents per kWh = $48. That is cheaper than the initial cost of the bulbs. What a saving just for two lights. I could make 5.3 batches of home brew beer with that money!
I promised Mr Planet Ark that I would post some pictures of the newer type CFL's so here you are. A bit of a plug for Philips for free, just because I like their product and they help save you money, and they help save the planet!
 | Philips Ambience 11W |
 | Dimmable T3 Tornado |
 | Philips Ambience A55 |
 | Philips Ambience Candle |
 | Philips Ambience Fancy Round |
 | Philips Tornado |
All of these CFL's come in BC & ES type fittings, with most having a Small BC & ES option. Like I mentioned above, I had all types of these fixtures, and did not have any problem finding a CFL to fit them.
To finish off here is a funny story, sad but true.
A month ago, Kim and I ordered some ceiling fans from a popular lighting chain, and I happened to ask when the ban for incandescent lights was taking place. The lady told me that imports stop in November this year, and sales stop November 2009. But she also told me that she was not happy. I asked why. She stated that not many people wanted to buy them because it gives her sister in law migraine headaches. What the....? I said that this was not a valid reason to not buy CFL's and due to the ban the public had no choice. She said that people would just stock up on incandescent bulbs before the ban. More the fool them, I thought. Kim then said that we like them, because of the energy they save and that they are good for the environment (I had given up with this clown at this stage, so it was Kim's turn). She still complained that people wouldn't be happy and that sales would plummet! Aha, I thought, that was the root of her whinging. More reliable bulbs with a longer life span, less sales. Bingo, and bad luck for this store owner.
We both left the shop thinking that she just didn't get it! What hope has Joe and Jane Public got with people like her selling light bulbs?
Lucky blokes like me tout the benefits of CFL's wherever I go.
Also, have a look at Camp Quality Country Mile Tour's blog. Phil (Wombat064) called me today and told me that he had just got all his incandescent bulbs swapped out in his house for free. Now that is a bargain and a scheme worth investigating.
When I read this headline on the ABC news on-line, I laughed very loudly.
The guts of the article goes like this. It states that Professor Andrew Pitman (Climate Change Research Centre, University of NSW) claims that real estate agents have threatened to make his life difficult if he continues to publish research about how vulnerable particular properties are to rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
Talk about strong arm tactics, or what. Anyone with half a brain could see that this was bound to happen. Even if you don't believe in man made climate change, it is a fact that sea levels and storm surge events are rising and will continue to rise even if we do take action to reduce our emissions soon. Just ask the poor President and residents of Tuvalu!
Now I am not saying that all real estate agents are like these clowns, because my brother Jim is an agent up in Queensland. I believe that he has morals, and is not like the people who are hassling poor Prof. Pitman. These guys would give George W. Bush and his Environmental advisor a run for their money!
It just goes to show, that when their incomes are on the line, people will do anything to bury the truth. Just ask all the Big Coal and Oil lobbyists standing in line outside of PM Rudd's office!
Today, I met one of my long time readers for the first time. His name is George, and works for the same company as I do. By the look on his face, I think he couldn't believe that he had actually met me in person. After a hardy handshake, we talked about all the things I have inspired him to begin at his own place. He is beginning a veggie patch and has bought the eco-wood sleepers, and will put it all together soon from what I can gather. George is also part of an environmental panel for Monash City council (hope I got it right) and is very passionate about making a difference. I said that I would be more than happy to give a presentation to the panel if he liked, so I believe he is going to think about it and email me with the details. Nice to meet you George!
George requested that I put together a post full of tips and tricks that I have learned, to help out people just starting out on their sustainable journey. So here goes.
That's about all I can remember for now, however I am sure that if I read my entire blog again, I could come up with a few more. If any more come to mind, I will add them to the comments.
George's parting comment was, "I won't wash my hand for a week now!" I feel like an A list celebrity (just not as wasteful and I don't own 6 mansions or have a private jet). Thanks for making my day George, lets catch up for lunch soon and talk some more.
I knew I wasn't going crazy! This article in the Herald Sun newspaper titled 'World Expert: Climate Sceptics Embarrassing', says it all! Have a read, it made me cringe.
I receive a daily environmental news feed, called Making Environmental News, which is a brief digest from the Banksia Environmental Foundation. For the last month I have noticed a sharp increase in the frequency of news articles that attempt to debunk climate change, and/or the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme. Fear, greed, and confusion are their tools of choice. I presume that this has been the work of vested interests e.g. lobbyists for major polluting industries, who are trying to get the Australian public on side, and divert our attention away from climate change, and onto other short term crisis like the global credit crunch.
I also find such behaviour and subsequent articles embarrassing and selfish, and know that some people will fall for this stunt. Europe is fully on board with the whole climate change issue, and we just tiptoe around the edges as usual. Even though the first EU emissions trading scheme didn't work as expected, mainly because too many free permits were given out by member countries, at least they gave it a go and were serious about the issue. Our scheme is fairly sound, so lets give it a go. If it is not quite right, we can fix it up as we go along. But lets not kill it off before it has a chance to reduce some emissions. No one will try to reduce them if something like this scheme is not legislated.
Sometimes I wonder if our mainstream press is truly balanced and unbiased in their opinion. I believe I will only read the ABC news on-line from now on. I have never seen an article from a climate sceptic on their news feed, only facts about the real issues we all are facing. The rest of the media can go take a flying leap, until they start treating the climate issues seriously, and stop trying to put up a smoke screen to confuse the general public.
Regular readers will remember the review I did on the DAB radio station "Passion for the Planet". Well, a couple of days ago, I received this nice email.
Hi Gavin,
Google alerts alerted me to your blog - and I just wanted to say thank you for your lovely review of Passion for the Planet. I am glad you are enjoying the station and we're very grateful that you're helping to spread to message. We're always very pleased to welcome new listeners.
All the best from Wimbledon (with the Wombles!)
Chantal
passion for the planet - health and environment focused radio
Zeal House, Deer Park Road, Wimbledon, SW19 3GY
It is so good when you receive feedback from the very people you wrote about. Thanks Chantal, I love your station. In fact I am listening to it now! Keep up the great work team.
You see, I have found that the little blighter's just cannot resist the smell of vegetable oil, in this case olive oil, and go to have a drink and don't come out of the salsa jar which is buried in the bed up to the neck (photo courtesy of Kate). In one night I have caught 52 earwigs in a single garden bed with no further damage to the rock melons and pumpkins. Unfortunately, I hadn't set traps in the cucumber or broccoli beds, so they suffered the wraith of the wig! But tonight, I get my revenge. With two more traps in each bed, I will soon have the numbers down to a manageable level!“Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.”
Samuel Johnson (English Poet, Critic and Writer. 1709-1784)
Today, Kim and I had the pleasure of a visit from Kate and Roger (Hills & Plains Seedsavers). They arrived via train and I picked them up from the station at about 10:30. I recognised them both straight away, and into the car and off home we went.
The first thing on the agenda was a nice cup of Rooiboss tea, a choc chip biscuit, and a chat about Kate's world wide adventure. You could see the excitement in her eyes as she told us of the places she had just visited, and I could tell she was still on a natural high.
After tea, it was time for a tour of the garden, and we looked at the veggie patch and swapped tips about all things of the vegetable variety.
Then we checked out the solar PV system, worms, compost, chooks, and discovered that the chooks had laid already.
This is what we found.
It weighed in at a whopping 81 gm. I dare say it is a double-yolker.
Then Kim called us in for lunch and we sat down to a nice lunch of Quiche that I made yesterday, and salad and chat potatoes.
The meal was sensational. It was the best quiche I have ever made. Mind you it was only the second quiche I have made, so I could only improve I suppose!
After the meal and some more chat about everything green, we finished off the garden tour by having a look at the fruit trees and the initial effort of a veggie patch in the front yard.
We then proceeded inside again for another cuppa and talked about all sorts of green things. Kate told me about a method she uses to water plants with terracotta pots as a wicking device for water intensive plants like lettuce and celery. I will try it out when I plant my lettuce for the summer.
Then it was time for Kate and Roger to leave, so I took them back to the station and after a hug & kiss from Kate, and a strong handshake from Roger, it was goodbye for now, and they offered Kim and I a chance to visit them in Adelaide. Both Kate and Roger are very nice, like-minded people, who are most welcome at our house anytime.
We will certainly take them up on the offer sooner rather than later. We better get in quick, before Kate decided to head off for another sojourn!
If you want to read the days events from Kate's perspective, have a read of "The Greeting of Gavin".
What a great day, and one Kim and I will talk about for a long time to come.
Then I transfered the mixture to the pre-baked pastry and then whisked three eggs that were kindly donated by the chooks, and poured it over the quiche to bind it all together. I topped it with some crumbled fetta, with a little freshly cracked pepper and salt.
rockmelons and pumpkins. They were having a fantastic feed on the new shoots until I squished them. Hard to catch though. It is the first time I have seen anything like it. Now I know what little beasty has been nibbling all of my seedlings that I have been constantly planting. I wish I had a dollar for every cucumber seed I have sown this year!
Once the water is at a rapid boil, place the beans into the pot
When the three minutes are complete, then remove the beans from the pot as quick as you can, and immerse them into the cold water you had placed aside earlier.
I left about 10-15 parsnips in the ground, and I will wait for them to get a bit bigger before harvesting any more. I will just plant the summer crop around them. In the same bed I had kept the two remaining capsicum plants which I had hoped would re-sprout leaves like the chilli bush around the other side of the garden. One has just shown shoots of leaves and flowers, but the second one has given up the ghost. I pulled it out and cut it up into small bits for the compost bin. There was also a couple of daikon radishes that I had let go to seed, and one of the roots were huge.
It was about now I called it a day. What a huge day, and very satisfying. Tomorrow evening I will plant as many of the larger seedlings I have, and directly sow butternut pumpkins, space saver cucumbers, watermelons, rockmelons, zucchini, and lazy housewife beans. I have broccoli, 8 different kinds of tomato, spring onions, beetroot, and silverbeet to plant as seedlings. Now that we only have a few loose leaf lettuces remaining, I will plant some different types of lettuce seeds in seed trays tomorrow.
A picture is worth a thousand words. These two parsnips kind of remind me of my relationship with Kim.
"
brief history
passion for the planet was set up by experienced radio professionals Chantal Cooke and Kenny Stevens, with the goal of introducing an innovative format to the expanding DAB Digital Radio market.
The result is passion.
Entertaining and informative, passion plays your favourite songs plus great new tunes from world music artists, and a broad range of interviews and features focused on your health and environment - issues that affect our lives every day.
walking the talk
passion for the planet is committed to helping the environment. Our offices have separate bins for paper, card and plastic. Where possible we use low energy light bulbs.
Our company stationery is all printed on recycled paper.
Our office paper and envelopes are all made of recycled paper.
In building our studios and decorating the office, we used, wherever possible, recycled or re-used materials.
Our studios are soundproofed and acoustically treated with naturally grown hemp. Both the hemp under tiles and the surface decorative tiles were supplied by The Hemp Paper Company
Office and studio design incorporated Feng Shui principles, and both the interior design and Feng Shui advice was expertly provided by John & Sue Thornton and by Marie-Claire Carlyle.
passion for the planet is mindful of its impact on the planet and its responsibility to others."
After that big effort, I was spent. It was now about 1700 and time for a shower. I looked like I had just had a workout in the gym. I believe it was better than a gym workout, and far more productive!
It was about now that I decided it was time to pick all of the remaining peas. Some were already dry, which I will use for next years crop, but the majority were edible. The chooks were unperturbed by me rustling through the dried pea plants, in fact they were curious as to what I was doing.
Say Cheese!
Ben decided to get into the act.
Once the dust bath was over, they all decided to do a little more exploring. They went back onto the grassed area and tested the boundaries of the yard. No harm done, and once they figured there was a 5ft fence protecting them, they continued about their business.
Not once did any of them try to fly, or run away. They are obviously very content little chickens.
Ben made sure that they didn't venture too far, as he had set up an elaborate system of obstacles, should any chicken attempt to make a run for it. That will stop them Eco Boy!
It was about now they decided that they had enough fun for one day, and it was time to go back to the coop. I have no idea what prompted them to return to the coop, maybe it is instinct. I did read in one of my chook books, that they seek the comfort and security of their home when it starts getting dark, which is why I suppose, they go into their house all by themselves each night. Once again Bunty lead the charge, Polly in second and with Edwina and Ginger bringing up the rear. All I had to do was shut the gate to the coop behind them. Kim took some video footage of them going back into their coop, so I will put together a short movie and post it in the next few hours. It was very entertaining to watch the parade in action. 
