> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Earth Day has changed some - URL: https://www.smdp.com/earth-day-has-changed-some/ - Published: 2007-04-21T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:36:45.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Changing light bulbs can save TAKE A TUMBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT* CITYWIDE Earth Day just isn’t what it used to be. With all of the heightened awareness surrounding the global warming issue in recent years, the focus of Earth Day has been narrowed considerably from the general observance of the environment. “Given the highly exposed awareness on the whole climate change global warming issue that has come to the forefront in the last 18 months, I do believe that most of the Earth Day events are going to lean toward that,” said David Veniot, the former head of Earth Day International and current vice president of Sustainability for the Villages of Loreto Bay. “The focus of activities are relative to what kind of impact we have in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.” A lot of changes can be made in the home, and thanks to heightened awareness, there are now more options than ever for consumers looking to heal the world. And what better day to begin than Earth Day this Sunday? Perhaps the most effective step an individual can take in efforts to save the environment is eventually changing all of their light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). On Sunday, take a walk around the house and survey the types of light bulbs screwed in the lamps. If the bulbs are incandescent, take a stroll to the local hardware store and pick up a CFL bulb or two, Veniot said. The average homeowner has about 40 light bulbs in their possession, Veniot estimated. If homeowners start changing their light bulbs from incandescent to CFL, it can result in substantial energy savings in the long run. The average incandescent light bulb costs 50 cents apiece, but uses approximately $12 in energy for roughly 1,000 hours of use. The compact fluorescent light bulb, on the other hand, costs about $5 apiece, but will last 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb and only use about $3 a year in energy costs, according to Andrew Basmajian, an environmental outreach specialist with the city’s Environmental Programs Division. “That saves you $9 every year... and it lasts 10 years,” Basmajian said. “You get your money back in the first year and you continue to save every year after that.” In celebration of Earth Day, environmentally concerned individuals can also try to lessen the impact of their own carbon emissions — one of the leading contributors to global warming — by paying an outside agency to offset their emissions. Everyone generates a certain amount of carbon emissions through activities such as using electricity, traveling in an airplane and driving a car. Businesses like Menlo Park-based TerraPass will reduce a customer’s “carbon footprint” by using their money to fund renewable energy projects. Through www.TerraPass.com, interested consumers can check to see how much carbon dioxide their particular car would emit in a given year. For example, a 2007 Honda Accord with automatic transmission that averages about 12,000 miles a year would emit more than 8,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. It would cost this car owner about $50 a year to offset their carbon dioxide emission, according to the Web site. “All that money is going to buy clean energy,” Basmajian said. “Energy that doesn’t collect greenhouse gases.” In the market for a new refrigerator or washing machine this Earth Day? Though it might seem costly to purchase an energy efficient appliance, the savings in energy costs over the life of the appliance will save the consumer a substantial amount of money. “When you need to buy appliances, people are very cost conscious,” Basmajian said. “You don’t think about the amount of water, natural gas and electricity the appliance gobbles up.” Some appliances, such as dryers, use two different sources of energy. Electricity companies like Southern California Edison will offer rebates of $50 for Energy Star-certified appliances, including refrigerators. In Basmajian’s opinion, it’s not cost-effective to purchase an energy inefficient product. Gardeners and plant lovers can also take part in their own Earth Day festivities by planting native plants. Plants that are native to California climate, water and soil conditions require very little care, as opposed to plants that are foreign to the area. Native plants can generally subsist just from rainfall. California native plants don’t tend to drop as many leaves and require much less maintenance and cleanup. “Once the plants are established, they don’t need to be irrigated often and don’t need pesticides and herbicides,” Basmajian said. “The plants that need fertilizer are the ones... that are not designed to be here.” For more information on how to achieve sustainability, visit the city’s Web site at www.smepd.org. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 21, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/042107.pdf?ref=smdp.com)