Last fall, IU Physical Plant's Charlie Matson, special project engineer, teamed with Lance Thurner and Jonah Busch, president and member respectively of E-Force, a Collins Residence Center environmental student group, to test new, compact fluorescent light bulbs as a way to make Collins more energy efficient.

Some time ago, overhead lighting in IU dorms already had been switched from incandescent bulbs to fluorescent types to save energy, but desk lighting had not. Last fall, working with the EPA Energy Star Program, Physical Plant purchased 240 new, compact Duro-Test brand fluorescent bulbs for $8 each, reduced from the standard $18. The spiral-shaped bulbs were fitted into the gooseneck fixtures attached to student desks in Collins.

Despite the higher initial purchase price, the new fluorescents last ten times longer than incandescents-that's 9,000 hours of light compared to 900, which means less maintenance. And the new bulbs use only 15 watts of electricity instead of 67 watts, which means they generate much less heat. But even better, lower wattage means that electrical generating stations serving IU will produce less electricity, resulting in less coal being burned and fewer pollutants being released into the atmosphere.

"We are proud to say that with our 240 light bulbs, we are saving almost 10 tons of carbon dioxide every school year," said Thurner.