Sunday, July 27, 2014

My Thoughts on Going Green for Christmas

Last night I was in my front yard freezing my butt off. I decided to go across the street to get a better look at the house, and the gorgeous Christmas light display my family and I had worked on for the past few weeks.

The result was gorgeous. The LED lights were seriously a gorgeous sight...so gorgeous that it actually, literately makes the eyes bug the hell out (especially those blue ones!).

I then looked down the road at the houses who joined us in our lighting festivity. I noticed something extremely similar. A bunch of homes were lit up, and a bunch of homes made an attempted at going green, by buying more LED lights, verse the regular old energy sucking Christmas lights.

Sadly though, most of the lights in the display were the energy suckers. I admit it myself...we too have more energy sucking lights than we do LED. It's not uncommon to see either. 90% of a home done up in old fashioned lights, and the other 10% was an attempt at saving energy by buying LED.

The reason isn't because we are cheap environment hating goons...the reason is money. A strand of 300 regular energy suckers only ran us $3.00. Where a strand of 300 LED lights.... well, get ready to cough up anywhere from $11.99 to $24.99.

Now let me do the math...wait... I don't need to do it really. I already see what's saving me from going into debt this Christmas. The energy suckers keep my wallet fatter!?
 
But as I save money in my wallet, I'm doing bad for the environment. I can't win. I'm disgusted.
If we were to go 100% LED this year, my light display would of cost me nearly a grand...easily. The display would be 10 times prettier, and save a ton of energy...but no one would get a gift for Christmas if I went all out LED. ARRRRGGGGHHH!
 
Why though?Why the hell would saving energy cost me more?
 
I thought the government/world/companies were all about going green...yet companies slap a price tag so high on all of these going green products that your average middle/low income folks just cannot afford it.

So I got to thinking about LED lights, verse the old energy hog lights. My idea is simple, my idea is to have companies that make LED lights give a free set of LED lights to all those who bring in an old set of energy hogging lights. That's right.... free LED lights for your old lights. I mean if big companies are dead set on going green like they all claim, then they should do more then just release new products that are better for the environment...they should show they actually CARE by doing something big.

They should then take these old energy hogging lights and recycle them into something else. Perhaps melt down the glass and plastic and make dishes or cups.

Well, that's my take on things. I felt like sharing my idea with anyone who cared to listen.

1 comment:

  1. The LED lights are beautiful and can really save energy. I do wish there was some way to trade in your old lights - even if it was for some type of credit toward an LED set.

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