The effort to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), light emitting diodes (LED) and other low-energy lighting is quickly becoming a global movement--with countries from Australia to Britain to the United States either implementing or contemplating plans to change their light bulbs for the better. The reason is simple: compact fluorescent lamps use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs, which typically convert into light only about 5 percent of the energy they consume. Although CFLs cost about four times as much as incandescent bulbs, they last 10 times longer, saving most consumers about $30 over the life of each bulb.
Britain Announces Voluntary Plan to Change Light Bulbs and Save Energy
Last week, the United Kingdom announced a voluntary initiative to phase out incandescent light bulbs throughout the country by 2011. British officials estimate that replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs will reduce Britain’s carbon dioxide emissions by 5.5 million tons annually.
"Britain is leading the way in getting rid of energy-guzzling light bulbs and helping consumers reduce their carbon footprint," said Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, apparently forgetting that Australia already led the way seven months earlier with a mandatory program that will phase out incandescent lighting by 2010.
Australia First Country to Replace Incandescent Bulbs with CFLs,br> Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s environment minister, announced the plan in February 2007, saying that Australia’s decision to replace inefficient incandescent lighting over the next three years will cut household lighting costs for Australians by up to 66 percent while reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons annually once the change is complete.
"If the rest of the world follows our lead," Turnbull said, "this will reduce an amount of energy ... to the tune of five times as much energy as Australia consumes."
Some critics suggested that Australia could be reducing greenhouse gas emissions much more by requiring industrial users to implement energy savings, or endorsing the Kyoto Protocol and its mandatory goals to limit emissions that contribute to global warming.
In response, Turnbull defended the decision to phase out Australia’s 87 million incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lamps by saying, "It's a little thing, but it's a massive change."
U.S. Considering Move to Compact Fluorescent Lamps
Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would require phasing out incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lamps and other, more efficient lighting. The proposed legislation would require bulbs to be three times more efficient by 2020 and would require 40-, 60-, 75-, and 100-watt incandescent bulbs to be phased out by 2014.
This is actually a pretty big deal, because the United States is the largest consumer of incandescent light bulbs in the world, accounting for nearly one-third of the global market. Proponents of the legislation estimate that the switch to more energy-efficient lighting could save U.S. consumers $6 billion a year in energy costs and reduce energy demand to cancel the need for 80 coal-fired power plants.
It isn’t clear how soon the bill may come to a vote, but it’s quite possible that it will be included in the energy bill that Congress is expected to vote on this month. The bill, which was drafted with input from the nation’s major light-bulb manufacturers, has widespread bipartisan support and few detractors.
"Americans have improved upon nearly all of Thomas Edison's inventions, and this legislation will encourage a new generation of innovators to advance his greatest accomplishment, the light bulb," said Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. "Energy-efficient lighting will save consumers billions in energy costs and help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions."
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Comments
They may save money, but they are ALL made in CHINA ! Is this something that we want to do, import all bulbs from China ? Also there is the issue of disposal. Might want to dig a little and plan a little more before going to all CFL’s
for me they do not last as long ,they get dimmer and dimmer till they are no long bright enough . I am not satisfied with them by a long shot . Oh yes I burn out more cfl than incondesant.
email circulating that these lights cause fires.
I absolutely DETEST fluorescent & LED lighting! The light they emit is cold, they are noisy, they buzz, vibrate, flicker, they dim and aggravate the environment – no matter what brand or style you choose – they make me personally feel ILL. This should be a CONSUMER CHOICE. If you want to make regular bulbs more expensive – go ahead! I would still pay more, regardless how much they cost, for a warm, inviting feeling in my own home, that makes the home environment a nurturing one – instead of feeling like a sickly office environment or a hospital or prison. Having to endure that crappy lighting in offices and hotel rooms is BAD ENOUGH! I don’t want to be FORCED to buy lighting I DON’T WANT!
Oh yes, and don’t forget the fluorescent lighting contains MERCURY! This is NOT the answer for families, anyone with a small child or pets around, or anyone who might accidentally break one of those bulbs. The suggestion for a broken mercury bulb that falls on the carpet is to replace it. Are you SERIOUS? I don’t see any savings, or any benefit. Replacing a full room of carpet? Who are you people in bed with? And if you’re not benefitting financially from some slimy deal – you really ARE idiots for proposing something DANGEROUS, ill thought out, and something consumers DON’T WANT.
what are you talking about ann???
i have been using these cfl light bulbs since they came out several years ago and to date i have only had to replace 1!!!
also this is not the same as those big fluorescent lights they have in stores and offices, these bulbs make zero noise and the fact that they run cool instead of extremely hot is the reason why they save so much energy. (my energy bills have been cut in half since i made the switch)
an incandescent light bulb wastes 95% of its energy in heat alone.
you should find a better way to heat your home then some stupid light bulb.
oh and nobody likes mercury but there is bulb makers that make bulbs without any mercury you just have to read the box to find the right ones.
Also it seems you dont know ANYTHING about LED lighting because you say you hate it but led lighting was nonexistent for anything brighter then a nightlight (other then street lights) just a few years ago and they are just now starting to put it in bigger applications because of the even better energy savings, long lasting and non toxic nature of them.
you should check your facts before leaving a untrue comment about something you know nothing about
I think CFLs are a great product. I have replaced all incandescent bulbs which burn for more than about 20 minutes a day with CFLs, and hardly needed to replace any. The average life of the CFLs I am using is about 4 years, and they definitely save me money and save the world from needing to generate a whole lot more electricity.