Project Porchlight Blog

The Cars on the Cooper event held on May 30 at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey, was hosted by Ankokas, a regional organization of the Antique Automobile Club of America. Vehicles exhibited ranged from beautifully preserved vintage cars from the early 1900s to newer models that are known to the cognoscenti as “future antiques.”

Not far from the rows of historic motor vehicles, a Project Porchlight table was set up to display a more modern technology: The energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb. A total of 87 energy-efficient CFL bulbs were distributed at the event, part of Project Porchlight New Jersey’s campaign to distribute one million free energy-efficient light bulbs to residents across the state. Project Porchlight is an initiative of One Change, and the campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP).

“We always like to have something additional for people that come to the car shows, something more than just a bunch of cars lined up,” says Ankokas President Bob Petter (pictured here). “We have to feed them and provide entertainment. Having Project Porchlight there this time was a good opportunity for both organizations. We provided something else for people and Project Porchlight could reach people and put its message out.”

The CFL bulbs and the information about them were very well received by the crowd, reports Bob. “It wasn’t just the free bulbs. Project Porchlight was getting a message across, and I think people also responded to that message,” he says. “That message is part of the increasing awareness of energy conservation, which is something that everybody is trying to grasp now. I think it’s one more step toward accepting the idea that we need to conserve our energy more than we have been doing.”

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions matter. Even something as simple as changing a light bulb is important. Bob says that for the members of Ankokas, carpooling has become a popular way to conserve. “A lot of people are carpooling when we go to tours or museums, rather than taking an individual car,” he says. “That’s one of the things we try to do.”

“It gives people a sense of accomplishment that they have contributed a little bit. If you do one thing, it sets in your mind, and the next time you might do one more thing. It’s a change of mindset for people, adapting to new ideas of being more conservative with our resources and trying to use our energy a little better and a little wiser. I think it is becoming a way of life.”