Kruzan, Rollo Announce Change a Light Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2007

For more information, contact:
George Huntington, Vice Chair, City of Bloomington Commission on Sustainability, 812-339-4442 x103, or [gm@bloomingfoods.coop|mailto:gm@bloomingfoods.coop]
Maria K. Heslin, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 812-349-3569

Bloomington, IN - To mark the celebration of Earth Day and Earth Week in Bloomington, Mayor Mark Kruzan and City Council President Dave Rollo announced the start of the year-long "Change a Light, Change the World Campaign." The campaign encourages local residents, businesses and landlords to take action against global warming by switching incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Kruzan said the effort also helps celebrate April as Be Involved Bloomington month, part of the City's Be Bloomington community character campaign.

"It may seem like a small step, but in the end it will put more money in your pocket and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Kruzan said. "By offering the bulbs at a lower-than-average cost, we hope to further encourage the public to make the sustainable choice of switching to compact fluorescents."

"We need everyone to be involved in the care of our earth to really make an impact, and changing a light bulb is one of the easiest ways to reduce energy costs and help the environment," Rollo said.

The official launch of the campaign will take place Saturday, April 14, 2007, at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market. At the market, the City of Bloomington Commission on Sustainability (BCOS) will give away at least 300 compact fluorescent bulbs to the public, courtesy of the Office of the Mayor and the City Council. The event will be held in conjunction with Step It Up Day of Action, a day set aside to combat global warming.

Replacing one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb is estimated to save at least $36 over the lifetime of the bulb. Compact fluorescents also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, one of the goals of the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement that Kruzan signed in May 2005. The Climate Protection Agreement, mirroring the goals of the Kyoto Protocol, set targets including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent of 1990 levels by 2012.

BCOS has set a goal of distributing 40,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout 2007, a number believed to be attainable based on the number of households within the city. According to BCOS Vice Chair George Huntington, "By distributing these bulbs within our community, we will make a significant impact on reducing our city's carbon footprint. Changing a light bulb not only benefits the environment, but actually saves you money. It really makes sense to do this."

To achieve Bloomington's goal of changing 40,000 light bulbs, BCOS has made plans to distribute the bulbs throughout the year, including at events and giveaways, and by partnering with various departments within the City of Bloomington, Indiana University, Duke Energy, property management groups, apartment associations, as well as social service agencies and school and church affiliated groups. Plans also call for selling low cost bulbs at community-owned food co-op, Bloomingfoods, and other local retailers.

For more information about the Change a Light program or to learn more about how to partner, please contact Huntington, Vice Chair, City of Bloomington Commission on Sustainability at [gm@bloomingfoods.coop|mailto:gm@bloomingfoods.coop].