January 30, 2007

Let there be (flourescent-only) light

Assemblyman Lloyd Levine says he wants to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs in California by 2012. Says the lawmaker:

"Incandescent light bulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications. Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about five percent of the energy they receive into light. It’s time to take a step forward – energy-efficient bulbs are easy to use, require less electricity to do the same job, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and save consumers money.

"According to the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit organization that focuses on energy policy, replacing a 75-watt incandescent light bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent would result in the same amount of light but would save 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide and save customers $55 over the life of the bulb (while the life of one 75-watt incandescent bulb is roughly 750 hours, the life of a compact fluorescent is a whopping 10,000 hours). Meanwhile, incandescent bulbs use 750 kWh over 10,000 hours, while compact fluorescents use only 180 kWh."

Posted by dweintraub on January 30, 2007 11:20 AM