Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter –
Robert DeMezzo, associate director of Residence Life wants Southern students to know how amazing LED light bulbs are compared to incandescent bulbs.
Residence Life hosts events for America Recycles Day.
“These bulbs last 22 years,” DeMezzo said. “They could still be lighting the university when your children attend Southern.”
According to the organization, America Recycles Day is an event held on or around Nov. 15 every year for the past 15 years. Southern’s involvement in this year’s observance was held in Farnham Hall on Thursday night.
The comparison of LED and incandescent light bulbs was one display set up by the Campus Sustainability Committee to educate the Southern student body. The group had three identical lamps set up with three different light bulbs; incandescent bulbs, CFL bulbs, LED bulbs. Each lamp had the yearly cost for the different light bulbs.
The incandescent bulb averaged $54 a year, the CFL $14 a year, and the LED $12 a year, DeMezzo said.
“You can see the price difference between the incandescent and the other bulbs,” he said, “and it’s quite a lot.”
DeMezzo said Southern residence halls all offer a light bulb exchange where students can exchange an incandescent bulb for a CFL. DeMezzo said there are light bulb recycling receptacles in the lobby of all residence halls.
DeMezzo said the university has replaced bulbs in the West Campus garage with LED light bulbs.
Graduate intern Josh Sumrell hosted a contest where students were asked to guess how many bottle caps were in a large jar in the “Bet the Bottle Cap” game. He said that he also believes that everyone should switch to LED bulbs.
“LED are a lot safer bulbs,” he said, “than CFL bulbs. The CFL have mercury content; while it is not a high amount, it is still unsafe for the environment.”
Along with the bulb demonstration and information on substainable living, all those in attendance were asked to sign their name to the America Recycles Pledge. Sumrell was also handing out promotional tote bags and Sustainable Southern wristbands and wanted all those in attendance to realize how important sustainability is to the future. Sumrell said that all the food offered at the event in Farnham Hall was sustainable.
He said sustainable food is healthy not just for us, but also the environment. In addition to the event held Thursday, Sumrell said the group is holding a sustainable sushi night in the future.
“In two weeks,” Sumrell said, “we are hosting a sustainable sushi night. Miya’s Sushi chef Bun Lai will be in Hickerson Hall, and he will talk about the importance of sustainable food, and will give a sushi-making demonstration.”
Laura Morrisroe, a graduate intern, reiterated the importance of Southern students leading more sustainable lives. Morrisroe said the group wanted the event to teach the Southern community how to lead such lives.
“I hope this event, in the short term opens everyone’s eyes,” she said. “And hopefully gets people to start to think about their way of life.”
Morrisroe said she found a recipe for homemade Febreze air freshener and odor eliminator on Pinterest. Morrisroe said the group has discovered that social media is a catalyst for sustainability—especially Pinterest.
“I found a pin for homemade Febreze,” she said, “and it’s great because it reduces chemicals. It is also very frugal.”
Morrisroe was handing out recipe cards of the homemade Febreze as well as home remedies for stain removal and wrinkle release. By making homemade versions of these products, Morrisroe said it reduces the waste of plastic.
“I never knew Purell could get an ink stain out of your clothes,” she said. “And now I do, and I want others to know it as well.”
