Ten Thousand Villages Saves Energy

In keeping with its socially conscious values and a desire to reduce its environmental impact, Ten Thousand Villages in Glen Ellyn makes extensive use of compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) in its store. The retail space is brightly and cheerfully lit, with a warm ambiance. This shows that CFL lighting in a retail setting need not look cold. It is essential to select bulbs with the best "color temperature" for the application. These CFL spots, which look much the same as incandescent bulbs, save the business money over time due to lower wattage requirements. CFLs are particularly well-suited in retail applications where lights are left on for long hours. The longer life of the bulbs also means less time climbing ladders to perform maintenance chores. The use of CFLs not only reduces operating costs, but reduces energy consumption for both air conditioning and lighting in the warmer months, leading to a dramatic reduction in the store's carbon footprint.

Earth Day Event at the Glen Ellyn Public Library

Join us this Thursday April 22 (7:00-8:30 p.m.) to celebrate Earth Day. Various Glen Ellyn groups will be presenting "green" activities they have undertaken, plus we will share ideas for making Glen Ellyn a more beautiful and green community. The Glen Ellyn Cool Cities Coalition will be one of the participating organizations. This event is sponsored by the Glen Ellyn Public Library. It is free, but registration is required. http://www.gepl.org/ We will provide information that will help citizens become more involved after Earth Day. Please join us for an interesting and informative evening.

April 1 Meeting a Big Success

In a full room, Debra Lazar Pearl of the Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting gave an informative lecture about outdoor lighting practices. Her lecture incorporated images of commonly seen lighting practices, highlighting both the good and the ugly. This was followed by a lively discussion about energy conservation, and "good neighbor" lighting practices. In short, the message was simple: Use only the necessary amount of light where you need it for comfort and safety. Anything else is waste.

This lecture, the first event co-sponsored by Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation and the Glen Ellyn Cool Cities Coalition, attracted Village Trustees and concerned citizens.

The Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting has more information at http://www.illinoislighting.org/

Special Presentation on Dark Skies and Beautiful Safe Lighting

On Thursday, April 1st, Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation and Glen Ellyn Cool Cities Coalition will co-sponsor a special presentation on the environmental effect of light at night and what we can do to have beautiful, safe lighting around our streets, businesses, homes and landscapes. Debra Lazar Pearl and Debra Briggs Norvil, executive board directors of Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting, will discuss the effects of light pollution on our health and the environment, and will offer alternatives that are safer, more attractive and less wasteful.

The implications of turning night to day are not isolated, nor small. There is a large price tag not just in money, but also in human health and environmental impact. Every ecosystem, indeed all-life, has evolved to exist in an environment of half day and half night. Affected are predator and prey relationships of nocturnal wildlife, human health that includes depletion of known tumor-suppressant hormones produced when sleeping in non-darkened environments and the resulting hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2 emitted in energy production each year to light the Chicago area.

Illumination at night is an important component of our lifestyle, bringing accessibility to activities that may not otherwise be feasible. However, light that never reaches its intended target is pure waste, and light that is emitted as glare impairs vision. A simple assessment asking Where, When, and How Much – is a great first-step to enabling responsible and sustainable actions.

The presentation will cover not only some of the most common lighting practices found on main-streets today and their causal impacts, but also, by positive contrast, some of the surprising uncommon practices – that yield substantial energy savings, improved environmental conditions, and happy neighbors.

Time: Thursday, April 1st
7:30 p.m.

Place: Glen Ellyn Civic Center
Clayton Room
535 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn, IL

Free admission, coffee and brownies will be served

For more information on the Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting and the environmental and health effects of light pollution:
http://www.illinoislighting.org/

Also:

Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation:
http://www.glenellynpreservation.org/

Glen Ellyn Cool Cities Coalition:
http://www.glenellyn-coolcities.blogspot.com/

The Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting offers and interesting symposium on March 11, 2010. As stated in its Web site, "The day will feature lectures by prominent speakers on the gamut of topics... Artificial light and the natural environment; Outdoor lighting, energy waste and sustainability; Light at night and human health; The loss of the night sky and its effects on science and society; and Illumination for safety and security. Our goal is to bring together timely information on these subjects in a forum where all our fellow Illinois citizens can learn not only more about the 'perils' which current lighting practices lighting pose, but also about the 'promises' of a future where the night is illuminated in a responsible, sustainable manner."

For additonal information, visit http://www.illinoislighting.org/symposium.html