I had the opportunity to attend a climate-change journalism conference this weekend right here in Portland. As a meteorologist, it was a great opportunity for me to brush up on the science, and also get some ideas on what I can do to fight climate change.

You may be familiar with the concept. Greenhouse gases...some of which are emitted from cars, power plants, planes, and others...are gases that help warm the planet. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been increasing significantly since the 1800s, largely because of human activities. And many scientists believe that that increase in greenhouse gases is leading to climate change...and global warming.

It's also important to note that most of our homes use electricity from those power plants...and some of that power comes from the burning of coal. If you can personally use less electric, than you're indirectly reducing greenhouse-gas emissions...and so helping in the fight against climate change.

If you're concerned about climate change, simply reduce how much electric you use. One of the easiest ways to do that, in my opinion, is to replace some of your home light bulbs...the traditional incandescent bulbs...with what is called a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL). You can see one in the picture below.

The 'Energy Star qualified' CFLs use 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. So your home would be using that much less electric, per bulb...helping save you money, and also reducing carbon emissions. In fact, if every American home replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL...it'd be the equivalent of stopping the greenhouse-gas emissions from 800,000 cars! Another benefit...these CFLs produce 75% less heat than traditional bulbs...what some would consider a great thing with the warm summer months coming up.

There are some negatives to these CFLs that you should know about. One concern about buying these bulbs may be the cost, since they are more expensive than traditional incandescent bulbs. But...a CFL lasts ten times as long as a normal bulb...so instead of buying ten normal bulbs, you'll only have to buy one of these....helping make up for that initial cost difference. Another concern...each CFL contains a small amount of mercury...so they have to be disposed of properly. Many local municipalities can help with that disposal.

And I, personally, feel like the benefits of using these bulbs outweigh the costs; I've already changed most of my light bulbs to CFLs. It really was a quick and easy way for me to help reduce my personal carbon emissions...what's known as a 'carbon footprint.' It's a small step, but one that I feel is a step in the right direction.

If you have any questions for me about climate change, as always, feel free to e-mail me.

2 Comments

Allison said:

so joe...you have these light bulbs in your home to save energy...do you drive a hybrid or a bio diesel car too?

September 22, 2007 4:54 PM

Joe Michaels said:

Hello again Allison! =)

No hybrid or biodiesel yet...but I'm pretty sure my next car will be a hybrid, if not totally electric, by the time I buy my next car. Hopefully the electric technology will continue to advance.

Joe M.

September 24, 2007 8:07 AM

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