Study Finds LED Streetlamps Significantly Lower Carbon Emissions
A recently published study reports that America’s cities could significantly reduce their carbon emissions by switching to eco-friendly streetlights. Robert Grow, the study’s author, found that by switching to LED streetlights, Washington, D.C. and the other nine largest American metropolitan areas could cut their carbon emissions by 1.2 million metric tons. That would be akin to taking 212,000 vehicles off the road.
As reported in this blog, some cities in China, Canada, America, and Europe have already switched to LED street lights. Leaders in London have promised that their city will be lit entirely by LEDs by the year 2012. Ann Arbor, MI is leading the way in the United States. In October, the city announced that 1,400 of its downtown streetlights will be converted to LEDs, a move that is projected cut the city’s street lighting costs in half.
Hoping to switch to LEDs in your home? One easy way to incorporate LEDs is by switching to an LED desk lamp. As with many LED lights, your initial investment will be higher than for many other lamps, but an LED lamp will last far longer, saving money in the long run. For instance, the Swanlake Moonspot lamp, shown at right, requires only .8 watts of power.
If you’re looking to change more than your desk lamp, here’s an article with more information on home lighting with LED bulbs.
Top photo by David R. Carroll.
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