COURTESY IMAGE
Moanalua Middle School student Eura Ha's entry was one of three winners in the Hawaiian Electric Co. and General Electric poster campaign, "A Bright and Colorful Idea." CLICK FOR LARGE
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Art illuminates conservation
Student drawings draw attention to low-energy fluorescent bulbs
THREE students came up with "A Bright and Colorful Idea" in illustrating that fluorescent light bulbs far outshine regular ones in a contest, sponsored by Hawaiian Electric Co. and General Electric.
Winners of the educational campaign included Kayla Hooker, a fourth-grader at Kaelepulu Elementary School; Eura Ha, an eighth-grader at Moanalua Middle; and Sheryl Dale Ramos, an 11th-grader at Farrington High. Their entries will be displayed on www.heco.com.
Kindergartners through fifth-graders took part in a coloring contest, and grades 6 through 8, and 9 through 12, a drawing contest. Hundreds of students entered the contest, which ran from October through December.
Compact fluorescent lights use about one-quarter the energy for the same amount of light from a regular incandescent bulb. They last about 10 times longer and can save up to $10 per year per bulb, according to HECO.
EnergyStar (www.energystar.gov), an Environmental Protection Agency program, maintains that replacing just one light bulb in each American home with a fluorescent bulb would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year. It would also prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.
Customers interested in buying compact fluorescent lights can visit www.heco.com to get downloadable coupons valued at $1, $2 and $3 off the purchase of GE compact fluorescent lights. The bulbs are available at Longs Drug Stores, Foodland, Don Quijote, Marukai, Times Supermarkets, City Mill, 7-Eleven and Marine Corps Exchange Hawaii.
The coupons are valid through March 31, but as this is an ongoing rebate program, customers can check the HECO Web site or retailers for coupons and discounts throughout the year.
The student winners were recognized at their school assemblies, and each received a 30-gigabyte video iPod, a 98.5 Island Rhythm prize pack, and a pack of GE fluorescent bulbs for their home. Their teachers -- Ronell Kimura of Kaelepulu, Keith Wong of Moanalua and Teressa Shimizu of Farrington -- earned their classrooms an Apple iMac computer, Crayola products valued at $500 and GE compact fluorescent bulbs valued at $200.
Webco and Clear Channel Communications also co-sponsored the contest.