I first learned about the ‘Light Bulb Conspiracy’ in Tara Button’s book ‘A Life Less Throwaway‘.
The story goes that representatives from Osram, Philips and General Electric formed a group called the ‘Phoebus Cartel‘ in order to commit the first known act of planned obsolescence. Previous to their scheming, lightbulbs lasted an average of 2,500 hours; however, since this crew loved money more than light, they hatched a plan to increase their sector’s sales by collectively bringing the lifespan of their lightbulbs down to 1,000 hours.
LEDs REVERSE CLIMATE BREAKDOWN
Light bulbs contribute significantly to global heating due to their high use of energy (which is powered by the burning of fossil fuels). According to Project Drawdown, by simply swapping our lightbulbs from regular to LED, we can avoid 7.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide, halting one contributor to climate breakdown.
LEDs use around 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and half as much as compact fluorescents. Making this swap is the 33rd most effective way of reversing global heating making it one of many changes we can make at home or at work that has an incredible impact overall.
LEDs PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO LIGHT POVERTY
LEDs work like solar panels but in reverse, converting electrons to photons instead of the other way around. Because of their lower energy needs, they can also be powered by individually captured solar energy. This is an amazing reality for the billions of people around the world who do not have access to power, offering a significantly safer and cheaper solution to the noxious kerosene lamps currently relied on.
You can aid the LED revolution by swapping your bulbs. For screw-in bulbs, check out Cree (3-year warranty) and for fancier looking ones with a 10-year warranty, check out Plumen. To help reduce light energy poverty, I’ve also selected some @kiva.org projects you can invest in. Each time your investment gets paid back, you can invest in another one, making it a gift that keeps on giving through the magic of impactful microloans.
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* some affiliate links mixed in // IMAGES: Unsplash
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