Talk about a bright idea! This group of industrious Friends’ Central students focused on increasing the use of Compact Florescent Lightbulbs for their Earth Force project. The group discovered that the CFLs use less energy, contain less mercury and have a lower chance of creating a fire than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Initially, the group thought it would be a good idea to focus on convincing larger companies to convert to CFL use; however, the group found that many of these companies had already invested in florescent lighting. Instead, the group focused on smaller areas such as homes, small businesses and their school.
The group engineered a project that educated their peers and families about the advantages of using the CFLs, and also raised money to purchase CFLs. With all of the donations that rolled in from family, neighbors and community members, Bright Idea was able to purchase almost 300 lightbulbs! Fifty CFLs went to a nearby homeless shelter, and the students took dozens to their homes. The remainder were used to replace the incandescent lightbulbs at Friends’ Central School. Bright Idea student Sara summed it up best by explaining, “there are always alternative ways to do something,” and that, “even though what is currently practiced may be easier, it is not always the most efficient in the long run.”