This month, Le Moyne biology students in Dr. Hilary McManus’ Poisoning Of The Planet class have proposed a plan to convert every light bulb on the entire Le Moyne campus from compact fluorescent light bulbs [CFLs] to Light Emitting Diode [LED] light bulbs.
According to sophomore Alex Briggs, a member of McManus’ class, it would take about four weeks to convert the campus to LED bulbs with little expense to Le Moyne. The lights would be installed by a third party energy company who would replace all the bulbs on campus at their cost. The energy company would keep a percentage of the college’s return savings as their profit for the installation.
Students in McManus’ class were put into groups and told to propose a plan that could help create a greener Le Moyne. Other group ideas include decreasing the use of plastic bags on campus and recycling initiatives.
Briggs explained that replacing the bulbs across campus with LED light bulbs could benefit the overall health and safety for students, faculty, and the environment. LED bulbs tend to have longer lifespans than CFL bulbs, lasting up to 100,000 hours. LEDs are also more energy efficient, holding an energy efficiency of 77 percent. This means that more electricity is used to power the bulbs and less heat is wasted.
LED bulbs also contain no toxic chemicals while fluorescent bulbs contain mercury and have to be disposed of in toxic waste containers. They’re completely recyclable and also produce a brighter, more natural light.
According to a study released in 2012 by Stony Brook University, CFL bulbs emit ultraviolet light, such as UVC and UVA rays, that could emit radiation and be potentially cancerous to skin cells. The most danger could come from broken CFL bulbs, which contain mercury and when leaked could be difficult to dispose of without contaminating the surrounding classrooms or student residential areas.
“We want to raise student awareness about how feasible an LED conversion would be. It would be a huge step towards a greener Le Moyne,” said Briggs. “We need students to realize how much lighting a college campus uses and the environmental effects it has. Student support and backing is key.”
For anyone who would like to be involved in the project or is looking for information contact Waldemar Zawadzki at [email protected].
