Lately, I've received more requests for donations to help folks caught in weather related disasters. Such events are becoming more common as global warming heats up the atmosphere adding "fuel" to storm intensity. Natural disasters cost the global insurance industry around $45 billion USD in 2013, but the human and uninsured loss toll was higher. According to re-insurer, Swiss Re's, publication Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters in 2013 , more than 14,000 lives were lost in weather-related catastrophes. Uninsured losses rarely exceeded $50 billion during any year prior to 1987. They've exceeded those losses in every year but one from 1988 to 2013, and more than tripled that benchmark in eight of those years since 1988. Much of those losses came from weather made more intense as greenhouse gases build up.
Perhaps part of our finest gift this season should go into buying LEDs. It'll help reduce greenhouse gases released in electricity production and mitigate the resulting storm intensity. Since the bill to fund government has riders revoking the 2007 lighting efficiency standards and preventing President Obama from making good on his commitment to the UN's Green Climate Fund, our gifts can help avert more severe heat waves, floods, and storms and reduce the relief necessary when they happen. And, such philanthropy will soon leave money left over to contribute more next time you see a holiday plea for disaster relief.
For many, Advent is the season symbolizing hope and waiting for the light. While LEDs are not the hoped for light referenced in our Advent tradition, unless you're going to hope for even lower prices, your wait for deals on these energy efficient lights is over.
However, if you wait another two years to burn out an incandescent bulb that you use two hours a day, you will have cast off enough electricity to pay for the cost of replacing that bulb today. You'll still have to pay for an efficient light when the old bulb fizzles. And you will have postponed the advent of your hoped for light and the full enjoyment of its economic, environmental, and humanitarian benefits.
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