CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina, April 23, 2008 (ENS) – They’re calling it Operation Change Out. On Tuesday, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman marked Earth Day by launching a joint campaign with the Defense Department to cut carbon emissions, save energy and save money by changing light bulbs. Those spiral compact fluorescent light bulbs now are wrapped in the red, white and blue.

The two agencies are challenging military bases nationwide to change out the lighting in their on-base housing – replacing the old, energy hogging, incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs.

The U.S. military goes for energy efficiency in
this poster for the Operation Change Out
campaign. (Photo courtesy Energy Star)

At Camp Lejeune, the first U.S. military base to participate in Operation Change Out, Secretary Bodman screwed in compact fluorescent bulb number 17,500 at a home on the base.

“By using energy wisely the military can help us access the cheapest and cleanest source of new energy – the energy we waste each and every day,” the secretary said.

With Base Commanding Officer Col. Richard P. Flatau, Jr., base personnel, residents and their families as well as over 250 school children at the change out ceremony, Bodman said the campaign will help bases across the country increase energy efficiency, save money and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Changing out the 17,500 bulbs at Camp Lejeune will prevent more than 7.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, save nearly five million kilowatt hours of electricity, and at least $500,000 on energy bills over the lifetime of the bulbs, the secretary said.

An installation team member at Camp Lejeune
changes out one of 17,500 light bulbs.
(Photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Energy)

He said that changing out the 17,500 bulbs at Camp Lejeune will prevent more than 7.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, save nearly five million kilowatt hours of electricity, and also save at least $500,000 on energy bills over the lifetime of the bulbs.

There are more than 200 military facilities located across the United States, so the effect of Operation Change Out could have quite an impact.

Changing one incandescent light bulb to a CFL in every on-base housing unit across the country could could prevent the emissions of more than 95 million pounds of carbon dioxide, the Energy Department says, the equivalent of taking nearly 1,500 cars off the road for one year.

One CFL can save about $30, or more, in electricity costs, the agency says. Those single CFLs add up – to nearly $7 million in energy costs saving over the lifetime of the bulbs.

That single bulb changeout would prevent more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime, an equivalent of keeping nearly 200 pounds of coal from being burned, according to energy officials.

These spiral light bulbs use 75 percent less energy, last up to 15 times longer, and produce about 75 percent less heat than traditional incandescent models.

Energy Star is a joint program of Energy Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency formed in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership that seeks to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency.

More than 9,000 organizations have joined as partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. The Energy Star® label appears on more than 50 kinds of consumer products.

Bodman says the Energy Star Operation Change Out campaign will help advance the President’s Executive Order 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management,” which directed federal agencies to decrease energy intensity and maximize use of renewable energy.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR®, and to view the revised program requirements, visit EnergyStar.gov or call 1-888-STAR-YES or click here [www.energystar.gov].

View This Story On Eco–mmunity Map.

When the grassroots organization, Lights Out San Francisco recently joined Eco-mmunity, we decided to join them and help take action for energy conservation. Eco-mmunity is intended to help people make connections. Like-minded companies and individuals need to become aware of each other and work together to solve the climate crisis.

Lights Out San Francisco is a citywide energy conservation event taking place on October 20, 2007. On this night, the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles will be invited to turn off all their non-essential lighting for one hour. In addition, free compact fluorescent light bulbs will be distributed throughout the city. You may ask: what good does one hour and one light bulb do? What do we hope to accomplish?
Lights Out estimates that turning lights out in San Francisco for even one hour could save as much as 15 percent of the energy consumed on an average Saturday night. The ongoing benefits of then installing CFLs in many houses and businesses will also be also significant.

Lights Out San Francisco was inspired by a similar event recently held in Sydney, Australia, called Earth Hour where, 2.2 million people participated. According to the post event calculations, one hour of lights out meant that 24.86 tons of carbon dioxide were not released into the air – the equivalent of taking 48,613 cars off the road for one hour.

Of course, we hope for the same or better here.

Thus far, LOSF has received a tremendous amount of support. Their growing list of supporters includes Esurance, Gap Inc., Integrated Archive Systems, PG&E, Safeway, Tides Center, and Yahoo!.

Eco-mmunity is proud to join that list. Since the Eco-mmunity Map exists to document and spread awareness to and about specific individuals who make green changes in the world, we are working with Lights Out to encourage all participants in the Lights Out San Francisco and Los Angeles events to create a map marker indicating their participation in the Lights Out event. Simply snap a picture showing your: candlelit restaurant, your home by moonlight or your lights out party and upload it to the map. The photos will appear in individual map markers that will be added to a new “Lights out” group on the map. You’ll be able to view all these markers in a unique “Map Slideshow” soon after the event.

[b]We are also asking all of our Eco-mmunity members across the globe to consider turning their lights off as well in solidarity and adding their photos to the map as well.[b]

“We’re very excited about the synergy between Sundance Channel’s Eco-mmunity and lights out San Franscisco. Now, people can mark the map to show that they’re turning out their lights or hosting a lights-out soiree. They can also upload photos of the night sky as the lights go out. Creating a place online where people have the opportunity experience and share this important energy conservation event. Our plan is to take what we learn here in San Francisco and apply it to citites throughout the US and the world. We believe the eco-mmunity, especially the map, will help us connect with more people.” – Nate Tyler, founder of “Lights Out San Francisco”.

Besides turning out the lights, feel free to include info about all your green efforts in life. Whether it be your awesome recycling system, your great energy saving appliances or the fabulous parties you can have when the lights are off, we want everyone in the world to see your marker. Get started on the Eco-mmunity Map now.

For more info on Lights Out and to sign up, go to LightsOut.org [www.lightsoutsf.org]