Low-impact Use: A New Standard

Once the ugly duckling of the lighting world, the fluorescent bulb recently has become something of an eco-darling thanks to its energy efficiency. Whereas a standard off-the-shelf incandescent bulb devotes only about five percent of its total electrical consumption to produce visible light (the remainder is released in heat), fluorescent lighting employs an entirely different process (it radiates rather than burns) that is four to six times more efficient. Fluorescents are indisputably superior in ­performance, but up to 5 milligrams of mercury, a hazardous trace metal, is included in the manufacture of each lamp

Liberty relighting, 20 years later

Recognized around the world as a powerful beacon for freedom, hope, and opportunity, the Statue of Liberty's light is not just metaphorical: her dramatic illumination is a perfect example of American ingenuity and engineering. Since the statue's installation in New York Harbor in 1886, lighting engineers and designers had struggled to illuminate the 150-foot copper-clad monument in a manner becoming an American icon. It took the thoughtful and creative approach of Howard Brandston-a legend in his own right-to solve this lighting challenge. In 1984, the designer was asked to give the statue a much-needed lighting makeover in preparation for its centennial. In order to avoid the shortcomings of previous attempts, he studied the monument from every angle and in all lighting conditions, discovering that it looked best in the light of dawn. Brandston determined that he would need 'one lamp to mimic the morning sun and one lamp to mimic the morning sky.' Learning that no existing lamps could simulate these conditions, Brandston partnered with General Electric to develop two new metal halide products. With only a short time for R&D, a team of engineers at GE's Nela Park laboratories assembled a 'top secret' testing room dedicated to the Statue of Liberty project. After nearly two years of work to perfect the new lamps, the 'dawn's early light' effect was finally achieved just days before the centennial celebrations were to take place in 1986. 'It was truly a labor of love,' he recalls.