By Jamaica Pond, in Boston, Dominic Luberto comes close to defining excess when it comes to lighting. Having spent over $10,000 on lights, just this year, he will have over 250,000 lights up. Estimated electric bill of $2000 per month (although, to be honest, this sounds like an embarassed understatement of actual costs).
"But, when you see the smiles on the kids ... every penny is worth it."
But, he's hoping to cut into those costs. Now, he isn't planning to go energy efficient, with LED lights.
Christmas Lights: Scrooge or Savior began:
Do you love those displays of Christmas (or Hannukah or Kwanza or ...) lights? Are you awed by those so impassioned that they string up 1000s of lights in awesome displays worthy of a city center? I once did, pausing on cold winter nights, white clouds issuing from my mouth, enjoying being in the glow of beautiful displays. And, in a way, I was inspired that they would spend $1000s (or $10,000s) on displays and the electricity to power them so that others could enjoy the sight on those cold winter nights.
But ... no longer ... not for awhile. Far too often nowadays, my winter evenings I can wear short sleeve shirts rather than bulky coats and gloves. And, energy is no longer a question simply of money. I’ve reached the point of feeling like a Scrooge; feeling outrage over the tons of C02 going into the atmosphere via neighbors’ 10,000 light displays rather than feeling ‘joyous’.
It then went into a discussion highlighting how to meet the desire for a light display while relieving concerns about polluting by switching to far more energy efficient and cost-effective LED lights.
But, does efficiency address excess?
Excess comes in many ways, from
executives abusing the shareholders trust to eating far too heavily at a holiday table. We can shop excessively (credit-carding ourselves to debt) as individuals or a society. With some excess, we hurt no one but ourselves; other excess, such as executives, comes egregiously at the expense of others. Some excess, perhaps the executives, comes with a delusional concept that what we are doing is for the greater good. Sometimes that is true ... dependent on how that "good" is defined. And, excess often occurs with a focus on the present over any thought toward the future.
How do we rate Dominic's excess?
His electric bill this month runs $1,900. He claims that NStar may help ease the tab next Christmas, but an NStar person says no, the much-reviled utility won't be picking up his tab
"Much-reviled"? In other words, NStar get your act together and help subsidize this energy profligacy. In fact, they already are, as they've
had to install additional electrical equipment to support his light displays.
Every year, the lighting goes on earlier (now Halloween) and stays on longer (through the end of January).
Mr. Luberto says he does it "for the kids." He believes that the tradition of Christmas lights is dying and he's out to revive it single-handedly. "They love it" he insists. Not all his neighbors do, however. They complain of not being able to sleep for all the super-bright light pouring in their windows; they complain of not being able to get into or out of their driveways due to the crush of traffic up and down their street all night, they complain that the display is just plain vulgar.
Dominic Luberto is not to be disheartened. His goal is to have a house that can really be seen -- from space.
The traffic, of course, is an additive pollution cost encouraged, of course, by all the press. The Boston Globe's article: The Shining: It's worth a trip, the light fantastic.
Every evening, families pour out of SUVs and minivans to get a dose of the wonder of it all. The cars, sometimes by the score, pull over to the side of the road, their emergency blinkers on.
From WBUR's recent story
DOMINIC LUBERTO: I don't go half way, I go all the way or I don't do it at all, and that's the way people should do it, if you're going to do something just do it right, go all the way and do it right.
One reaction to Luberto's display, from Boca Raton, Florida,
At the risk of being labeled a Grinch or Scrooge himself, given the urgency of our climate change situation, perhaps it is time to seek moderation and find new ways (or old — candlelight perhaps) to celebrate this magical time of year. Or perhaps people can choose to offset the increased usage through alternative energies or carbon credits. After all, and it seems Luberto has pre-empted me on this one, "it's all for the kids," and what world we leave for them and their children.
For a good collection of Luberto stories, see Universal Hub. See Ecomorons for a contest as to the worst Christmas light excesses (and their post on Luberto).
As I walk my overly warm neighborhood, with many homes lit up with 1000s of lights on all night, holiday lighting excess is on my mind as per Christmas Lights: melting away a White Christmas and Christmas Lights: Scrooge or Santa.
Sadly, Dominic is not alone in his excess.
Time to ask ourselves: Scrooge or Santa?
We can impact things via energy efficiency. Switching from incandescents to LEDs can cut the energy use by up to 95% (dependent on bulb types). Wow ...
We can make reasonable choices about usage. How many American neighborhoods really have anyone driving them at three in the morning, looking at lighting displays. Thus, timers can cut power use (and pollution) even more.
And, then there are simply choices about what is and isn't appropriate in the face of the globe's challenges. 250,000 lights?
$2000 represents perhaps 20,000 kilowatt hours (or more). Easily 30,000 pounds (15 tons) of CO2 emissions per month, month after month. Yes, Dominic is doing this for the children. Is he, in fact, a Santa or a Scrooge
Thinking about society, the larger challenges
Think about that trilogy above: efficiency; less wasteful energy choices; changing lifestyle. Almost all of the discussion in American politics will focus on the first, increasing energy efficiency. A little, perhaps, might be encouraging people to be energy smart in how they act, think about their energy use toward reducing. Any serious talk about changed behaviors, changed lifestyles toward far more serious reductions in energy usage and polluting patterns?
ACTION ITEM: If you put up Christmas (Kwanza, Chanukkah, other) lights (hopefully not like Dominic), tis the season to be shopping. LED lights can be had for 50% off at almost every store (and 75+% off in many). Get a solar-powered string for under $10, a few watt 50 bulb string for under $5 ... set yourself up for an Energy Smart display the next holiday season.