You guys have got to check Kenny Luna out! He and his students are trying to get Oprah Winfrey to help give every student in America one compact fluorescent light bulb. If this is done, he says it will “help fight global warming by reducing our carbon emissions from electric power plants, save Americans AT LEAST $2.3 BILLION in electricity costs, and help put America on the path to environmental sustainability.†Get all the info at his blog and support the cause!
I’ve sent my letter!
Thanks Maria! We’ve got a lot going on, we’re working with a number of different groups, and we appreciate you getting involved! -kenny
Intersting link. I’m not sure if I was Oprah though if I would be to impressed. Every child (school aged) in America is a lot of kid, even with her money..I will be curious to see what happens. Good luck to Kenny
Agreed! That’s a hell of a lot of money. But, even if she just chipped in and helped get every child in the north east states, or something like that, wouldn’t that be an amazing step?!?!
awesome idea, the woman is one of the richest in America, if she foots the bill it honestly wouldn’t make that much of a dent, especially is she staggers it over a year or two.
though I bet she could easily pay for it all upfront.
It’s an interesting and very importantidea — I wonder if there could be a way to use Oprah’s clout and fan base to mobilize other people to foot the bill, too? Because even if Oprah can afford to buy a bulb for every kid in the country, it might do more long-term good if she can use her power as a public figure to persuade families and communities of the usefulness of CF bulbs and help them WANT to invest in them on an individual or local level and then an organization could use donationss from philanthropists to fill in the gaps after those who can afford to buy their own CF bulb have been convinced of the merits of doing so. For example, wouldn’t it be great if instead of selling candy and frozen cookie dough and plastic junk no one wants, school fundraisers sold composters, CF bulbs, or other environmentally friendly products? Or if CF bulb makers or Home Depot or other companies with a stake in people’s continued patronage of this technology could be convinced to donate bulbs to low-income schools or offer bulbs at low cost to schools so that schools could then resell them inexpensively to families? Or if PTAs across the country made it a goal to give every family in their school system a “bright idea” bulb? Or if school science fairs focused on household changes that can create a difference in the environment? Or if math teachers could start projects in which students replaced bulbs in their home and tracked light use, costs, and environmental impacts to determine the difference that one bulb can make? I can see a lot of ways in which a modest donation of cash but a big donation of publicity and enthusiasm could allow Oprah to make a huge difference on this issue — and by throwing her support behind these kinds of efforts in addition to putting some financial backing to the project, she could help create a school-based environmental movement that could become self-sustaining at the same time. Or maybe I’m just rambling…
Wow, Kathy, these are fantastic ideas!! You need to pass this along to Kenny, and also write Oprah about it!! Wouldn’t that be awesome if school fundraisers focused on earth friendly and sustainable products and not candy and crap!!