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speakup

How many people does it take to change a light bulb?

OOPS: The picture on the left shows a sign posted by the city advertising the fact it’s been named one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities in the world by the Intelligent Community Forum. But despite the city’s push to be environmentally friendly, the ad shows an incandescent light bulb. The picture on the right shows the city’s attempt to fix the gaffe.

A few clever ones can do it in less than 17 hours.

Mayor Brad Woodside jumped on a marketing flub in that time frame after sharp-eyed citizens pointed out Wednesday that Fredericton had used an incandescent light bulb in an advertising billboard, instead of an energy-efficient one.

The billboard, located beside the Union Street underpass, shows an illuminated bulb with the slogan Fredericton World Class Smarts.

The billboard advertises the fact that Fredericton has been named one of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities in the world by New York-based Intelligent Community Forum.

Judges with the U.S. organization are in Fredericton this week running through their checklist of initiatives among private, public and academic sectors before deciding who earns the world title of the seven finalists.

Woodside said he received telephone calls from citizens who pointed out that a city trying to show its environmental awareness should have chosen the modern, energy-sparing squiggly-shaped compact fluorescent light bulb for the billboard.

Woodside said Wednesday he ordered the sign changed and it now shows the same energy-zapping bulb with a circle with a line through it to try to convey that wastefulness doesn't fly in the capital city.

"The people that picked up on that have necessitated the change," Woodside said. "The public is smart and the point is well-taken. We should have caught it."

After taking a look at the sign and hearing from the public, Woodside said it shows that citizens here are aware of the city's move to curtail excess energy use.

Team Fredericton's executive director Don Fitzgerald said he's the man to blame.

"I'm the guy behind the light. I picked that light bulb on purpose. I picked it to represent an idea and I didn't pick it with any kind of environmentalism."

Fitzgerald said he was thinking of the classic image of a light bulb over a human head conveying the notion of inspired thinking when he chose the icon.

"I went to the classic light bulb and people have noticed," Fitzgerald said.

The quick response from the public and the messages to the mayor's office from citizens who said it's the wrong light bulb proves that Fredericton residents are behind energy conservation.

The city has launched a campaign called Green Matters which encourages citizens to reduce their personal carbon footprint through simple tools - using energy-efficient lighting, hanging clothes outdoors, blanketing water heaters and turning down the thermostats.

"The real story is the community is smart and is paying attention," Fitzgerald said.