Recognizing that traditional incandescent light bulbs release excess amounts of CO2 into the world's atmosphere, Physical Plant and the College's chapter of MassPIRG, a state-wide student-run political public-interest action group, offered free compact florescent lamps (CFLs) in exchange for the incandescent bulbs which inhabit the desk lamps of most students.
Director of Facilities, Management and Planning and a principal organizer of the event Jim Brassord believes. "[The event's purpose was to] promote awareness around global climate change ... and materially affect in a tangible way the College's own energy consumption and emissions."
As an incentive to draw student support, the program's organizers offered free pizza as a reward for the dorm with the highest participation percentage. Students in South College will enjoy the pizza party as a reward for their 100 percent participation rate. Seventy-eight percent of the residents in Appleton Dormitory participated in the exchange, good for second place.
According to a College press release, CFLs use only a quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs use, have eight times the life expectancy of traditional bulbs and run cooler. The release also claims that if every student at the College replaced one bulb, the College will "save enough CO2 to fill the college swimming pool 82 times."
While the Amnesty Program did not facilitate the exchange of one incandescent bulb for each Amherst student, Five College Energy Manager Todd Holland stated that the level of energy conservation is expected to be high. "Estimated savings are 47,853 kWh per year, enough to light 40 homes for a year," he said. "Annual savings will be $6,100 at the new rate."
MassPIRG Chapter Chair Channing Jones '09 explained that the goals of MassPIRG and the Amnesty Program include raising student awareness, stimulating discussion and getting the student body to care about the issue of climate change.
Jones felt that most students already seem concerned about the issue and were happy to participate in the program. "I figured if anyone has the opportunity to do something as simple as changing a light bulb to help the environment, especially when it's made so convenient by the College, you might as well do it," said Spencer Haught '10. "Plus [the CFL bulbs] just look sweet."
However, Christina Nieves '10 believes that the program organizers could have better facilitated the exchange of bulbs by making door-to-door visits. Nieves added that she was unable to participate in the swap because of the inconvenience of the program, which required students to remember to bring their old bulbs to the Keefe Campus Center during a limited window of time. "If they had come to every dorm, I think everybody would have done it," she said.
Whether or not students participated in the Amnesty Program, climate change seems to be on the minds of many students. "I think that in all of its facets, the issue of our reliance on oil will be the defining issue of our generation," said Sam Guzzardi '07. "And I think only now are we beginning to realize the environmental implications of this dependency."
Though Ellen Fitzgerald '10 does not believe fighting global warming is our country's most pressing issue, she participated in the exchange. "Whenever possible I just like to help out the environment and do my part. We all live on the earth together and we each have a responsibility to take care of the planet. Using an energy-efficient light bulb is not that difficult," she explained.
The Light Bulb Amnesty Program is only a small part of the College's larger efforts fight climate change. "Amherst is really at the forefront of carbon dioxide emission reduction and reducing its environmental footprint," said Brassord.
All of the College's most recent construction projects meet the highest standards of energy efficient design. For example, the new Earth Sciences and Museum of National History Building employs, according to Brassord, indigenous materials, sophisticated lighting control, daylight harvesting, a state-of-the-art heating ventilation and air conditioning system and controls designed to capture waste heat from the building. The building is also oriented for solar gain.
In addition, Brassord says the administration is "proactively addressing all buildings on campus [and instituting] energy-efficient lighting, premium-efficiency motors and the digital control of building systems." A prime example of such initiatives is Orr Rink, where the ice temperature is heavily controlled. The College has also added energy-efficient lighting and reflective coating to the ceiling of the rink to reduce radiant heat loss and save the College upwards of $60,000 per year.
Pending a successful bid by an outside contractor, the College also plans to construct a cogeneration plant that will remove the College from the electricity grid by producing its own electricity and capturing any exhausted waste heat, using that heat to produce hot water and steam to heat buildings.
While this project should initially cost approximately seven million dollars, Brassord estimates the College will save upwards of one million dollars per year, all while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by a factor of two. "Not only is [this project] a good financial investment," said Brassord. "It will also have a dramatic impact on our emissions."
The College has also replaced all gasoline-burning maintenance equipment with bio-diesel burning systems and has added hybrids to the school's vehicle pool fleet.
Determined to be an environmental leader, the College will try to ameliorate the slightly disappointing turnout at the Amnesty Program by offering a similar exchange later this semester and continue to introduce new initiatives in the future.