Joe Cobb

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Most of us have heard the old joke that begins, "How many [fill in the blank] does it take to change a light bulb?"

Well, there's a new adage in town that goes like this: We can change the world one light bulb at a time.

This revolutionary revelation came about in a recent conversation with Diana Christopulos, who, along with Mark McClain, serves as coordinator of the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition.

The coalition was founded in August and, Christopulos said, the purpose "is to advocate for action within our community for wise energy solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

When the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" ran earlier this summer, Christopulos and McClain were asked to host a table with information about the Cool Cities initiative at the Grandin Theatre.

"The response of people was unbelievable," Christopulos said. "So many said thank you for doing something about global warming."

For many people, Christopulos said, the issue is overwhelming.

"We felt we had to do something about it at a grass-roots level," she said.

Today and Saturday, the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition will be at the 2006 Energy Expo at the Roanoke Civic Center, as part of the Sierra Club booth.

Christopulos said the Cool Cities initiative was created by the Sierra Club to assist local governments and residents in responding to the challenges of global warming.

For Christopulos, it's a tangible way to respond to the old saying "think globally, act locally."

The local coalition comprises affiliates ranging from C2C Home and Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway to Hollins University and local businesses and individuals.

Christopulos has met with representatives from Roanoke and is pleased that a plan to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions is in development.

When asked how individuals, congregations and neighborhood associations can become involved in the process, Christopulos identified three key areas.

"First," she said, "you can replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, CFLs."

As part of its efforts to show the effectiveness of these bulbs in reducing energy consumption and costs, the coalition is distributing the bulbs free of charge.

"The bulbs usually last 10 times as long as a regular bulb," Christopulos said.

"The second thing citizens can do locally to increase energy efficiency," Christopulos said, "is to replace old appliances with new Energy Star appliances."

A third idea for residents concerned about reducing energy costs is reviewing transportation options.

"If you travel a lot to Blacksburg," Christopulos said, "consider taking the Smart [Way] Bus. Or if you commute to work, contact Ride Solutions about options for car pooling."

Christopulos adds, "When you get ready to trade in your car, get one that's fuel-efficient."

Basically, the Cool Cities initiative is dedicated to making all of us more aware of how we can be part of a local solution to global warming, Christopulos said.

One of the features of the Cool Cities presentation is a short film called "Kilowatt Ours," developed by Jeff Barrie regarding practical solutions toward energy conservation.

The film will be shown during the two-day Energy Expo.

Christopulos hopes to engage many in the desire to raise awareness about being energy-efficient.

"This is a very middle-of-the-road issue," Christopulos said. "This is for everybody."

For more information on the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition visit www.rvccc.org or call Mark McClain at 387-0930. For information about the Smart Way Bus, call 982-6622 or (800) 388-7005 or go to www.smartwaybus.com. Contact Ride Solutions at 342-9393 or go to www.ridesolutions.org.