Networking and Advocacy
Term Paper
Ban The Bulb Campaign of Greenpeace
Submitted to:
Prof Shambu Prasad
Submitted by:
Learning Group – 4
Group Members
Abhishek Lahiri Baijanti Mallick
Gautam Rajagopalan Rashmi Rekha
Sandeep Saxena Santanu Chakraborty
Contents
History and evolution of Ban the Bulb 3
Cost Benefit Analysis of CFLs 4
Different Strategies followed for “BAN THE BULB” campaign 5
Key Actors in the Campaign 5
Ban the Bulb Movement across the World 7
Campaigns in the Indian Context 8
References 14
History and Evolution of Ban the Bulb
The “Ban the Bulb” Campaign was started by Dr Matt Prescott in UK in the year 2005.
To start with a very brief introduction of Dr. Prescott, Dr Prescott started his career as a
PETA campaigner .He was also very catalytic in organizing the EARTH summit in UK
as a precursor to the Johanessburg Summit on Global climatic change.
Dr Prescott did his Ph.D in Pollination from Oxford University.
While launching the Ban the bulb campaign, he had the following intentions in mind:
• Influence the policy making worldwide regarding energy and use of incandescent
bulbs
• Creating awareness regarding the wastage of
energy
• Stimulating innovation in better technology for
energy producing
• Save money by switching to CFL ‘s
• Promoting Recycling of CFL’S
The campaign was started In UK and was able to generate a worldwide impact on the
harmful effects of traditional incandescent bulbs. Greenpeace spearheaded this campaign
in India in Feb 2007 and is right now running a campaign soliciting people to sign a
petition that would pressurize the government to ban the use of incandescent bulbs in
India.
Dr Prescott is presently the Chairman of working group on energy policy in UK and also
simultaneously runs an online campaign “banthebulb.org” with the vision to save energy.
Cost Benefit Analysis of CFLs
With lighting contributing 5-10% towards the typical electricity bill in the developed
world, and even more in the developing world, the
savings could really mount up.
It has been estimated that if every household in the US
replaced just three of its incandescent light bulbs with
energy-saving designs and used them for five hours per
day, it would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 23
million tonnes, reduce electricity demand by the
equivalent of 11 coal-fired power stations and save
$1.8bn.
Given that investing $450m could save $1.8bn, it is hard
to understand why anyone would still choose incandescent bulbs.
In reality, few people seem to be prepared to pay the higher upfront cost of an energy-
saving bulb, even though they have much lower running costs; while many seem to feel
they are entitled to pollute the Earth's atmosphere without worrying about the
consequences.
In 2002, the UK government spent £410m on bailing out its near-bankrupt nuclear sector.
That would be more than enough to supply every household in Britain with three energy-
saving light bulbs.
As former US President Bill Clinton pointed out at the UN climate negotiations in
Montreal, “helping the environment does not have to harm the economy. In fact, a well
planned, regulated and enforced energy-efficiency campaign could reduce waste and
pollution, save money, create new jobs and stimulate innovation.”
Low-energy light bulbs would
be a first step to curbing
climate change
Different Strategies followed for “BAN THE BULB” campaign
1. Protests, Demonstrations and Rallies: This is the most common for of protest that
is seen in any cause.
2. Creating networks with life-minded institutions and organizations: By linking
themselves with the civil society, NGOs like Toxics links (Delhi based), Centre
for Science and Environment, Greenpeace could create a a network that would
spread the message of the campaign and also would further their cause to a very
great extent.
3. Litigation (Court case against the bulb manufacturers): Greenpeace took the major
bulb manufacturers to court in the public interest and the damages that such
industries cause to the environment and also are not ready to let go of the
monopoly they have enjoyed till date in the incandescent bulbs market.
4. E- petitions: With the advent of the Internet, e-petitions are also a evolving as a
strategy to move the policy makers to take up decisions in the right direction.
Greenpeace has kept a target of 1 million petitions and as on date September 20,
2007, they have registered 2,17,440 petitions.
5. The Internet based campaigns like forming discussion forums.
6. Involvement of Celebrities like Usha Uthup.
7. Public education through the help of Internet.
Key Actors in the Campaign
Any advocacy campaign sees a large no. of people playing different role. As per our
understanding of the campaign, we have tried to enlist the various key actors in this
campaign.
• Greenpeace Activists
• K Srinivasan – Greenpeace Climate and Energy Expert
• Indian Government – Policy makers.
• Parliamentarians
• Prime Minister (Dr. Manmohan Singh- A Report on “Energy Revolution: A
Sustainable energy outlook for India” – on April 13th 2007 was presented to him)
• Leading Bulb manufacturers like SURYA, BAJAJ, PHILIPS
• NGOs like Toxics Links (Delhi-based)
• Centre for Science and Environment
• Power Ministry of India
• New and Renewable Ministry of India
• Electric Lamp and Component Manufactures’ Association
• Documentary Film maker – Anand Patwardhan
• Prahlad Kakkar- Adman and filmmaker
• Media and Communication Cell of Greenpeace
• Audio, Visual and Print Media
• Journalists
• Celebrities (like Usha Uthup and others)
• State Governments
Based on these players role, we have also made a key actors map that is given below:
Importance
+-
•NGOs
•Greenpeace Activists
•Media
•Parliamentarians
•PM, Important Ministries
•Celebrities
• State Governments
•Important Ministries
•Centre for Environment.
•Bulb Manufacturers
•Prahlad Kakkar
The “Key Actors” Map
•Ruchika Talukdar (Corporate
Communications)
Ban the Bulb Movement across the World
Australia
Australia’s music capital is set to become the first town or city nationwide to install
energy-efficient lighting in every home. Tamworth, which is also the first city in
Australia to get electric street lights, is leading the way in the national "Ban the Bulb"
campaign. Australia announced it would phase out the sale of inefficient incandescent
light bulbs by 2010, replacing them with highly efficient compact fluorescent bulbs that
use one fourth as much electricity. If the rest of the world joins Australia in this simple
step to sharply cut carbon emissions, the worldwide drop in electricity use would permit
the closing of more than 270 coal-fired (500 megawatt) power plants. (In United States,
this bulb switch would facilitate shutting down 80 coal-fired plants).
Canada
Just two months after Australia’s announcement, the Canadian government announced it
would phase out sales of incandescent by 2012. Mounting concerns about climate change
are driving the bulb replacement movement.
European Union
The European Union, now numbering 27 countries, announced in March 2007 that it
plans to cut carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020. Part of this cut will be achieved by
replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. The European Lamp Companies
Federation (the bulb manufacturers’ trade association) is supporting a rise in EU lighting
efficiency standards that would lead to a phase-out of incandescent bulbs.
United Kingdom, Russia, New Zealand
In U.K., a nongovernmental group called Ban the Bulb has been vigorously pushing for a
ban on incandescent since early 2006. Further east, Moscow is urging residents to switch
to compact fluorescents. In New Zealand, Climate Change Minister, David Parker, has
announced that his country may take similar measures to those adopted by Australia.
At the industry level-
Philips, the world’s largest lighting manufacturer, has announced plans to discontinue
marketing incandescent in Europe and the United States by 2016.
At the commercial level-
• Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, announced a marketing campaign in
November 2006 to boost its sales of compact fluorescents to 100 million by the
end of 2007, more than doubling its annual sales.
• In U.K., Currys, Britain’s largest electrical retail chain, has announced that it will
discontinue selling incandescent light bulbs.
Wal-Mart and Center for Environmental Health
Wal-Mart made another announcement regarding its plan to sell compact fluorescent
light bulbs (CFL’s), WakeUpWalMart.com and the Center for Environmental Health
called on the company to “do the right thing” and adopt a national recycling program to
help lessen the mercury threat posed by these bulbs. According to the executive director
of health , CEH, Mr. Michael Green ,Walmart must take immediate steps towards energy
efficiency but the it also needs to put little more thought into the program. Without
widely available recycling programs, disposal of these bulbs could mean more mercury
near our homes, schools and playgrounds.”
Campaigns in the Indian Context
Greenpeace as an organization is known to grab the headlines for its innovative methods
of protests. We have collected a no. of news clippings to show how active and vigorously
Greenpeace has been making protests to succeed in this initiative.
1. Kolkata: Greenpeace activists on April 19, 2007, unfurled a banner with the message
'Stop Climate Change- Philips Ban the Bulb!' at the Annual General Meeting of Philips
asking the company to phase out the manufacture and sale of the incandescent light bulbs
in India by 2010.
2. Mumbai: A worker instructs others on a
boat as they construct a life ring in the sea
with a banner calling to 'Ban the Bulb' as
part of a campaign by environmental group
Greenpeace in Mumbai. Greenpeace is
campaigning for a legislation that would
result in the phase out of the incandescent
light bulb by 2010 by establishing efficiency
standards.
Source: www.outlookindia.com
3. New Delhi: On 16th April, 2007, four Greenpeace activists suspended themselves from
the top of the 269 meters high Vikas Minar building at the Center of New Delhi this
morning and unfurled a 85 by 45 feet
large banner with the message “Stop
Climate Change, Ban the Bulb” which
marked the beginning of an intense
campaign to push for a national
legislation to phase out incandescent
light bulbs. Such legislation will be the first step towards implementing wide scale energy
efficiency measures which will tackle India’s energy crisis and help take a definite step
towards fighting climate change. A model law to gradually increase energy efficiency of
lighting in India will be produced at the press conference in the afternoon.
Source: Sify News
Activists dressed as penguins protesting against the CLIMATE CHANGE
Courtesy: GREENPEACE
4. Celebrities joined hands with Greenpeace to say Ban the Bulb by signing the petition
in eight cities across India. Collaboration with agencies like
CONCERN FOR ENVIRONMENT also took part in this
campaign in New Delhi.
5. Bangalore: Greenpeace announced the completion of collecting 1, 00,000 petitions for
their "Ban the Bulb" campaign The campaign also aims to collect a million signatures
(ten lakh) from the public till the end of the current year. They had thought of collecting
the petitions by on-line signing of petitions which
could be done at the campaign web-page"
5. Bangalore: Greenpeace activists, right, wearing electric bulbs, protested at the Philip
Innovation Centre in Bangalore on Friday, June 29, 2007. Greenpeace as part of their
'Ban the Bulb Campaign' asked
Philips and other bulb manufacturers
to phase out the production of bulbs,
which are responsible for highest
avoidable carbon dioxide emissions
leading to climate change.
Source and Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 30, 2007
6. Involvement of Media: CNN-IBN now takes up the "climate change campaign" along
with Greenpeace India.
7. 7. Children take action against climate
change; join the Greenpeace Ban the Bulb
petition drive: While the city geared up to
celebrate the hundred and fifty years of the
Indian war of independence, students of K
R Mangalam World School, New Delhi
took a step to usher in a world free from
climate change. Over fifty students gathered in a human art formation which read "Ban
the bulb" in the school grounds early this morning. Immediately afterwards, the students
took to the streets at locations like Palika Bazaar, Central Park and Lodhi Road asking
people to sign petitions for a ban on the light bulb. K R Mangalam World School and
local NGO Pravah have joined hands with Greenepeace for the million signatures petition
drive against the light bulb.
8. New Delhi, India — Greenpeace today exposed the energy wastage due to leakage
from a random selection of prominent buildings across the national and financial capital
in a “technovative” manner. Thermographic (temperature sensitive) images taken with a
special infrared camera captured the excessive energy leakage from buildings including
the Mumbai Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange, the American Centre in New
Delhi, iconic hotels like the Taj Mahal in Mumbai and the Intercontinental in New Delhi
amongst others. The wastage is mainly on account of faulty design as well as usage of
inadequately insulating material (glass) and in certain cases maintenance.
9. Blockade at the Surya Bulbs Factory
at Uttranchal/Kashipur, India — After
preventing the movement of incandescent
bulbs out of the Surya bulb manufacturing
unit in Kashipur for more than ten hours,
activists of Greenpeace ended their
blockade of the factory late at night. The
company officials stated that they are
reducing the production of incandescent
bulbs and increasing the production of
CFLs. Further the company made a
written commitment to organize at the earliest, a senior management meeting involving
the Managing Director of Surya Roshni Limited and representatives of Greenpeace to
discuss Greenpeace demands. The company however refused to come up with any time
bound commitment to phase out the production of incandescent light bulbs.
10. New Delhi, India — The Greenpeace Climate Patrol team got down to some serious
action today! They were spotted in the Janpath market raiding inefficient and hazardous
light bulbs and replacing them with energy efficient compact fluroscent lamps. This
marks the start of a series of climate crime patrolling and power wastage monitoring
activities Greenpeace will undertake in New Delhi, as temperatures threaten to soar.
References:
http://www.banthebulb.org/
http://ban-the-bulb.blogspot.com/
http://www.greenpeace.org/india/press/
http://www.greenpeace.org/india/banthebulb/
http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2007/Update66.htm
www.outlookindia.com
The Hindu
Hindustan Times
