DU getting clobbered in "One Billion Bulbs" challenge

[krkaufman]

Well, looks like everyone's getting clobbered by the "Instapundit" group, anyway.

See: http://onebillionbulbs.com">One Billion Bulbs (The group listing is over in the far right column of the page.)

Imagine the possibilities. Imagine if people all over the world mobilized to replace one billion standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs. What would that mean? It would mean that those people would save money each month on their electricity bill. It would mean they would save enough energy to light tens of millions of homes for a year. It would mean the prevention of greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of millions of cars.

Imagine with us. Change a light bulb. Participate. Help us turn this map green.

[silverweb]

1. I think I know why.

If other DUers are like me, they switched to CFLs years ago and don't have any more lightbulbs to change.

How can we pledge to do something that we've already done long ago?

[krkaufman]

2. Likely also because it's a totally obscure "challenge" that no one knows about! : )

I've switched 5 or so CFLs in the past year-ish, and figure I'll see if I can back-date those entries, and then add new entries as I switch out more (as old bulbs die).

[WePurrsevere]

4. That was sort of my first thought as well. Perhaps they need a category for

those who have already changed them out. It would be a more accurate reflection of the nation IMO.

DH and I first started to change over when CFL's first came out with a separate base and very expensive (so uber slow changing); as they became less expensive we bought more and more until every bulb has been switched that they made a CFL for (up until recently and we're working on buying those 2 new and pricey beasts) and not just in the house we just bought 2 yrs ago (which we changed out when we moved in) but in the 2 other houses we've owned so those new owners/tenets are benefiting from them as well.

If the contest were better known and DUers put in those that they had already switched out I'll bet we'd blow them all away, hands down. :D

For those that haven't yet,although I know the budgets for some here are extremely tight, the price of CFLs has come way down and they pay for themselves not only in greenhouse emmisions but savings at the electric meter. If you can't afford to replace them all at once, try to do it two at a time every few months... maybe by throwing change in a jar or tell folks that's on you "Wish List" for holidays, birthdays, etc. What a great gift if you think about it... a greener earth and a greener wallet. :)

Actually I think I may go green for this holiday season... if I start stocking up now on "green"/ "organic" type stuff I can make up a "Care" package or basket for friends and relatives for the Holidays. :)

[doni_georgia]

7. Yep - Been using CFLs for years - Can't remember the last time I changed a bulb

[kestrel91316]

9. Yep. Been there, done that. What took THEM so long to catch on?

[Wilber_Stool]

3. I changed 12 years ago

when the price was almost $20 a pop. I still have one of the originals still working.

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Well, there's two possibilities here...

Firstly, it's because you're up against guys like Peter K. of the Loadwarriors who has changed 785 bulbs so far because... I don't know, maybe he lives in a giant fucking Christmas tree or something.

Or secondly, we have other things to worry about and just changed the damn bulbs.

:shrug:

[skids]

6. We should just be grateful...

...that Instapundit users are actually doing it, rather than the opposite based on some kooky theory about how CFLs are a plot by RFK Jr. and Ted Kennedy to give us all mercury poisoning or something equally fanciful.

[KurtNYC]

8. self delete