Switching To Greener Bulbs

US last month in Bali had signed up to a last minute acceptance of a global climate deal to go green by flicking the switch on the greedy incandescent light bulb.  The Energy Independence and Security Act, President George W. Bush had signed into law on 18 December gave a mandate to phase out 100-watt bulbs starting in 2012, 75-watt bulbs by 2013 and 60-watt bulbs in 2014. This will be superseded by energy-saving compact fluorescent lighting. It also proposes a fivefold increase in the availability of bio-fuel by 2022, making vehicles 40-per-cent more efficient by 2020.

 The lighting industry took heed of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which saw Philips last March, launched a campaign to make obsolete guzzling energy lighting by 2016, ditching incandescent lighting saving $18bn per year and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 158m tonnes.

At least four states drafted in legislation banning incandescent bulbs, while Wal-Mart launched a campaigned to sell energy efficient bulbs by the end of 2007, it achieved its goal by October.

Christopher Flavin, president of the World watch Institute to Washington DC, an environmentalists said it will “reshape the trajectory of the whole lighting industry and tilt the market towards efficient technologies”.

Source New Scientist 05/01/08 p19

 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/20071219-1.html