Philips LED bulbs (Source: lighting.philips.com)
Buckingham Palace is doing it and so are US cities like Ann Arbor and Raleigh. All these cities are installing LED lighting, that is. The New York Times article “Green Promise Seen in Switch to LED Lighting” and a blog post from the Times website discuss the potential benefits and some downfalls of LED lighting. Despite this article’s focus on both the pros and cons of LED lighting, it does not answer some of the most important questions regarding the sustainability of a transition to LED lighting. For instance, do LED lights require limited resources? What does a lifecycle assessment of a switch from incandescent and fluorescent lights to LEDs look like? Does the construction of new LED lightbulb plants and the disposal of millions of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs cancel out the CO2 benefits of the more efficient LED lighting? Kudos to Buckingham palace for only installing the new LED lights after the old lights had burned out.
A study cited in the article reports that if all lighting was provided by LEDs, CO2 emissions from electricity used for lighting could decrease by 50% in 20 years. Each bulb can last 100,000 hours compared to a fluorescent bulb that has a lifetime of about 3,000 hours. In addition they require about half the energy of a CFL, the lighting can be modulated, and they don’t emit UV light, which attracts insects. LEDs also do not contain mercury or any other toxic materials that have caused concern in consumers of CFLs. LEDs seem like a great way to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and save electricity without employing any futuristic technology. LEDs have been used for years in Christmas light strings and electronic score boards, among others.
Despite the numerous benefits of LED lighting, there are a few kinks to work out (not to mention a thorough study of the lifecycle impacts of a switch to LEDs). First off, LED bulbs are incredibly expensive at the moment; a new Philips LED bulb costs about $40. Though the purchaser will save considerably on electricity costs and replacement bulbs over the LED lights lifespan, the initial shock of purchasing a $40 lightbulb (when a CFL may cost only $2) will probably scare most would-be purchasers away. Another problem is that LED lighting is directional, meaning that most LED lights are only suitable for down-lighting or spot lighting applications. Currently, LEDs are grown on costly mediums such as sapphires. A new technology developed at Cambridge University allows LEDs to be grown on silicon wafers, which would be a much cheaper option. Laboratories at various universities are still working to develop more useable and cheaper LED lights.
In light of the many potential benefits, LED lighting could enjoy great success if the price is right.
Bottom line: LED lighting consumes less energy than traditional lighting sources and lasts much longer. Nonetheless they are costly and more R&D is needed to make them suitable for general purpose use and to ensure that they are truly an environmentally friendly alternative to incandescent lighting.
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What’s the trouble with oil? (5/5)
In this final post on crude oil I’ll discuss why there’s so much controversy over oil. In short, using fossil fuels like crude has negative effects on the environment, economy, and therefore everyone.
The organic material that is found in crude oil sometimes contain sulfur atoms which if combusted turns into SO2 and then into H2SO4, which causes acid rain. Acid rain kills everything from fish to forests. In an attempt to reduce emissions and the effects of acid rain, sulfur emissions have some of the tightest governmental regulations in the refining industry.
Low Sulfur Diesel (LSD) is diesel with a sulfur concentration below 500 parts per million (ppm) – the old standard. Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), the required diesel for new trucks starting in 2007, must have sulfur concentrations below 15 ppm. In a few more years, all highway vehicles will use ULSD by law. Below are the stickers you may have seen on diesel gas pumps. Sulfur and other organics are regulated in most fuel products, including gasoline.
Image from: www.factsonfuel.org
While regulating acid rain causing components in fuels is a step in the right direction, it’s definitely not enough. The real problem with oil as an energy source isn’t the sulfur, it’s the carbon. When the hydrocarbons in gasoline and other petroleum products are burned for energy, the carbon backbones break apart and form the greenhouse gas CO2.
Greenhouse gases make up just a tiny fraction of the atmosphere. But that tiny fraction is an important part because it forms an invisible blanket around the earth. These gases in the atmosphere allow sunlight into the atmosphere but block the light from reflecting back off the earth into space. They keep heat in. As we burn hydrocarbons to get energy and other products we release more of these gases – warming the earth.
The greenhouse effect is a good thing since it keeps the earth warm enough for us to live on. But there is a delicate balance between warm enough and too warm. Climate change and global warming have been directly linked to the increased CO2 levels in the over the last 100 years (IPCC).
Another huge problem with fossil fuels is that they take millions of years to form. We are most definitely depleting this valuable resource faster than it’s being replenished. Basically, we will run low on oil eventually. It’s just a matter of when. Some think it might be soon. I think I agree.
I’m not saying we have to shut down every oil well on the planet. In fact, I think we’ll probably always need petroleum for some reason or another – just like we’ll probably always need trees as a bsaic building material. What I am saying is that we should use a reasonable amount of it. We should grow back a tree for every one that we cut down – so that we don’t run out. We should use a reasonable amount of oil – so that we don’t run out.
As countries like India and China (combined population: 2.5 Billion) grow, demand for oil will grow. We will deplete resources faster.
So what can you do? Think about the oil it took to make and transport that thing to your local super mart. Think about the gas you burn and pollution you release every time you start your car. Ask yourself whether you could walk/bike/bus instead of driving or hold off without that new trinket. Ask yourself whether the energy your about to use is worth the benefit you’ll receive. The answer can be yes, but it’s no sometimes too. Also, take a minute to think about what happens when you throw something away. Check out the story of stuff.
Wikipedia sums it up well: “petroleum’s worth as a portable, dense energy source powering the vast majority of vehicles and as the base of many industrial chemicals makes it one of the world’s most important commodities.” If we want to slow climate change, and eventually have a chance at reversing it, we must stop using fossil fuels like crude oil. It’s just that simple. But we’ll have to restrain ourselves a bit.