The �How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Light bulb Act�, which has been drafted by California Assemblyman, Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, would ban the use of incandescent light bulbs by 2012.
�Incandescent light bulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago,� said Levine. �And since that time, they have undergone no major modifications.�
�Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light,� said Levine.
The bill is aimed at the amount of pollutants produced by the kilowatt hour that make that light available.
California is the first state to madate a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Sponsors of the bill recommend that consumers switch to energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which in 2005 only accounted for 5 percent of the 2 billion dollar light bulb market.
�They save money and energy,� said EPA spokeswoman, Enesta Jones. �They are more convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture.�
A 20 watt CLF provides as much light as a traditional 75 watt incandescent bulb.
�Obviously we�re not going to have police going into 7-11s, searching for light bulbs,� said Edward Randolph, chief counsel to the Assembly Utility and Commerce Committee for Levine.
�There are only a few producers of incandescent bulbs out there, and they won�t be permitted to sell in California,� said Randolph, who envisions no incandescent light bulb black market.
�LED (light emitting diode) and Halogen lights will still be alright,� said Randolph.
�Incandescent lights are extremely inefficient, and they are ultimately responsible for over 20 percent of the total CO2 emissions in the US,� said Eco-LEDs founder Mike Adams, an advocate of LED-sourced lighting. �Cleaner, greener and more energy efficient technology exists right now; it�s called LED lighting,� said Adams.
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