Strike a Chord: Light and Environment

by Julia Rist | 07/01/2019 | 6:00am

People in an office with lights.

John Mandyck, the CEO at Urban Green Council, said he's worried about how much energy New York City's buildings use and how it could impact the atmosphere. 
 
He said 60% of multi-family housing in New York hasn't had a lighting upgrade in 20 years. 
 
"This is a sector that's lagging the commercial sector. So you know there's more work to be done there. That's important work because it lowers carbon emissions and it pays back for itself really quickly."
 
When carbon emissions are high, Mandyck said there's a lot to be worried about. He said it contributes to severe weather, high sea levels and poor air quality. 
 
According to the Building Energy Data Book, lighting accounts for 6% of energy used in a residential home. 
 
Mandyck said to lower this number, residents should switch from fluorescent and incandescent lights to LED lights. 
 
Daniela Lapidous, the coalition organizer at NY Renews, agreed. Lapidous stressed lighting isn't the only thing that needs to change for New York to conserve energy. 
 
"We want to move New York's whole economy off of fossil fuels, so that means not just electricity, but it means transportation, how we get around, our cars, our public transportation, our buildings the way we heat and cool them."
 
Lapidous is pushing for a state bill called the Climate Community Protection Act which would mandate New York shift to renewable energy. She said it's the best way to help the state in the fight against climate change.

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