terrapinsanity.com

Many workers on campus know that Facilities has been replacing lighting systems to show we are all forward-thinking, green champions of … what, the economy? Environment? Both, they say.

Okay, leave aside the sad fact that some staff workers complain of being human guinea pigs for the experiment, and suffer from headaches or other ailments that started coincident with the switchover to high-tech, cool-temperature, strobed florescent bulbs. We’re saving money … right?

Well … maybe not. A research report circulating on the net today shows that the way to boost productivity is to use higher colored lighting temperatures. If we believe the research (we tend to right now) then the pioneering campus effort to give us dimmer, cooler lighting comes with substantial drop in productivity.

Let’s see: pay a lot of cash up front, create health issues for at least some employees, gut productivity for everyone and then declare victory. Yup, must be Maryland!