Scientists warn Christmas lights harm the planet

REDRUM · #1 (**permalink**) 12-25-2008, 02:18 AM

Quote:

SCIENTISTS have warned that Christmas lights are bad for the planet due to huge electricity waste and urged people to get energy efficient festive bulbs.

CSIRO researchers said householders should know that each bulb turned on in the name of Christmas will increase emissions of greenhouse gases.

Dr Glenn Platt, who leads research on energy demand, said Australia got 80 per cent of its electricity by burning coal which pumps harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

He said: "Energy efficient bulbs, such as LEDs, and putting your Christmas lights on a timer are two very easy ways to minimise the amount of electricity you use to power your lights."

He said the nation's electricity came from "centralised carbon intensive, coal-based power stations" which were responsible for emitting over one third of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr Platt added: "For a zero-emission Christmas light show, you may consider using solar powered lights or sourcing your electricity from verified green power suppliers."

Link

"If" Christmas lights harm the planet then one would have to agree that Halloween lights harm the planet as well.

Halloween LED lights

Guy Fawkes · #2 (**permalink**) 12-25-2008, 02:59 AM

I say a .08 watt led is nothing compared to billions of 400 watt street lights that stay on all night long, when they don't need to.

Makedde · #3 (**permalink**) 12-25-2008, 10:12 PM

There is no need for people to drape tacky lights and blow up Santa's all over their houses and front yards. It's tacky and looks stupid. Not to mention a waste of electricity.

**SpotsCat** · #4 (**permalink**) 12-28-2008, 12:06 PM

Flagstaff, Arizona has a "light law" - street lights are limited to how many lumens of light they can emit, business are restricted to how many lumens of light their signs can emit, and so forth. I believe the law restricts lighting to so many lumens of light emitted per acre.

All I know is that when I'm in Flagstaff, it's the only city I've been in where you can still see the night sky!

For some reason, Flagstaff started making laws against "light pollution", and they seem to work great. Instead of having everything brightly lit, the lighting isn't as intense, and you can see more detail in the darkness because there isn't such a severe contrast between light and dark.

Although I generally oppose new laws on the grounds that there are already too many laws on the books as it is - this is an idea that needs to be enacted elsewhere IMHO.

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