By Joel Keller
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the color green is the hottest color of the 21st century. Concerns over global warming, dependence on foreign oil, and skyrocketing fuel prices have led everyone from world leaders to hybrid-driving suburban families to a greater awareness the planet’s resources.

But how does a person “go green”? For many, their first foray into the world of environmental friendliness is a funny-looking lightbulb.

Last fall, Cedar Crest, an Erickson community in Pompton Plains, N.J., gave away more than 600 compact fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs to residents. The giveaways were held over three weeks, with bulbs made available to residents on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in each of the community’s three  clubhouses.

Compact fluorescent giveaway
“We wanted to work with the residents and the Resident Advisory Council, and give at least one CFL to each resident apartment as sort of a primer,” says William Wallace, Cedar Crest’s senior facilities manager. “I think it went over very well.”

The lightbulbs, which light up using fluorescent gas instead of a burning filament as in incandescent bulbs, are designed to output the same amount f light as their  traditional counterparts while using a fraction of the energy. A CFL that consumes 23–30 watts, for example,  emits the same amount of light as a 100-watt bulb, according to the federal  government’s EnergyStar website  www.energystar.gov). The bulbs also run at a cooler temperature and last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Instructions on use and disposal
Every Erickson resident received notification of the giveaway, and Erickson’s corporate energy manager, Keith Buchman, discussed the program on Cedar Crest’s in-house television station. Residents also received written instructions with their CFL blubs.