The fight for light has come with great costs. Lighting up a space hasn’t always been as simple as flicking on a light. 4,000 years ago, in the tropics, people would catch fireflies and make a sort-of make-shift firefly lantern. And, in Scotland, folks would hunt and kill a super oily bird called the Storm Petrel, dry it out and then shove a wick down its throat, which functioned as a feathery, slow-burning lantern. Then came the unfortunate discovery of whale blubber as a fuel source, giving way to the whaling industry, which in turn killed off nearly 3 million of those great beasts that occupy our planet’s oceans. Then, there was Kerosene. And, finally, there was electricity. At 3 p.m. on September 4th, 1882, Thomas Edison flicked on a switch at J.P. Morgan (the bank funding his electric endeavours) and, for the first time in human history an entire office building and a full square mile of Lower Manhattan was illuminated with light. Light has since spread (and so has the cost). While the discovery of electricity and the invention of the lightbulb has saved the innocent lives of countless whales (and Storm Petrels), lighting up this big beautiful planet doesn’t come without a cost. Most lightbulb makers manufacture in Asia and then ship to Europe and other parts of the planet. More times than not, the bulbs aren’t of sufficient quality, containing an undetected flaw, which causes them to fail quickly. In other words, there are a whole lot of bad bulbs getting shipped around the world. And, unfortunately... Bad bulbs ship twice, which costs double the CO2 emissions. The bulbs that are shipped around the world are so bad that it’s not uncommon for folks to buy 20% more LED bulbs than they need, due to the failure rate. Well-lit commits to quality because it is best for the environment and the customers who partner with us. For us, this begins and ends with our workers. We use a local workforce at our factory so our people can be a part of their kids’ lives (this isn’t the case for most workers in China). All of our LED bulbs are handmade which allows our workers to command a higher salary and learn skills they can take with them elsewhere if they so choose. (Not to mention, while hand making LED bulbs is far more expensive for us, it results in the lowest failure rate in our industry.) Every single one of our workers enjoy a free daily lunch, work in an environment that is both safe and clean and enjoy ample time off each week. Happy workers = Better Bulbs = Less CO2 All of the above means a happier workforce that can be passionate about the work that they do and who are personally invested in the products Well-lit is making and the customers we’re serving. We’re a company of Lightmen on a mission to be a guiding light in an industry that badly needs one. With this, we’ve created something that can best be described as a manifesto. The lightmen’s manifesto A pledge, a challenge and an evergreen reminder to ourselves and the rest of the world that light is both a privilege and a responsibility that should be wielded and respected with the utmost care. Darkness feels at the speed of light We don’t just light up a room because it looks good, we light up a room because it makes room for good. Light is a resource worth saving. Turn off, power down and unplug when you step out of a room, because it’s kind to the planet and those that call the planet home. Light (modern light) is good for the whales. Before the lightbulb, whale oil was the fuel that lit our world, a tragedy that cost 3 million innocent whales their lives (thank you, Edison). There’s no light like sunlight. Natural light boosts Vitamin D, improves sleep and shoos away seasonal depression. Man-made light is good, but remember to enjoy the sun. Light can change the world. Light keeps neighborhoods safe, it brings people together and it allows our passions to burn long after the sun goes down. Make the most of this gift! LIGHT IS NOT A UNIVERSAL LUXURY. If you’re reading this, you’re not one of the 1.3 billion humans who lack access to ight and electricity. Never take this luxury for granted. Leave the world a little bit brighter. Every moment of every hour of every day, seek to leave the world and the people living in it just a little bit brighter.