How many volunteers does it take to screw in a Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb?

The answer is - a lot.
Today I volunteered at Rock the Bulb with Project Porchlight, which is part of One Change, an organization that educates the public about energy use and the idea that changing one thing can make a big impact.

Project Porchlight's "Rock the Bulb" is a lightbulb exchange and an education program, with lots of really cool activities that demonstrate why we should use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs as opposed to traditional incandescent ones.
For the first half of the day, I was at a booth with two human-powered generators - one hooked up to a bicycle and one with a hand crank - with a switch box with a CFL and an incandescent bulb. The idea was to show people just how much energy it takes to power an incandescent bulb vs a CFL. We always hear that the CFLs use less energy, but it is really cool to actually see and feel how much of a difference there is between the two.
For the second half of the day, I worked in the Bulb Exchange, getting people their free CFL bulbs in exchange for the incandescent ones that they brought in.
I learned a whole lot about Compact Fluorescent Bulbs today. They make them now that you can put in recessed lighting, they make dimmable ones (if used in a fixture made after 1995), they come in all different shapes and sizes.
A LOT of people came through the event. I think the final count was a little less than 2,000. Most of them brought in 10 lightbulbs to exchange - that's 20,000 lightbulbs exchanged! The amount of energy saved by switching those bulbs is extraordinary.

One Change says that they are an organization that is dedicated to letting all people, regardless of race, economic status, or political views, know what they can do to make a difference. I was sort of reminded of AmeriCorps, because they reach out across those boundaries that normally exist, especially in environmental campaigns. It is a shame that our environmental groups tend to target the upper socio-economic classes, and One Change tries to break that tradition - very well, I believe. The majority of our citizens can't afford to put solar panels on their roof or collect rainwater in cisterns. A lot of people can't even afford to purchase CFLs - they are pretty expensive. The opportunity to exchange the bulbs they already had and to learn about how the CFLs will be saving them money is a great first step - a simple, easy change - toward more responsible energy use.

I overheard one of the power company employees talking to a customer who asked him if there was a noticeable drop in energy consumption in areas after they had evens like this. He said there absolutely always is - how cool is that?