What a Bright Idea!

I make no secret of my preference for 'choice editing' and there are few other things with which I have associated the subject with than the lightbulb. Happily, Australia has announced that it will be phasing out incandescent lighting within three years. An excerpt from the Guardian's leader comment notes:

"...the new technology has got better, allowing low-energy lights to shed their reputation for giving out a dim, cold, white light. New coloured bulbs now match the traditional warm incandescent glow. They cannot yet replace all bulbs; spotlights are tricky, so are low-voltage systems and dimmers. But that will change. Mr Turnbull [the Australian environment minister] is on to something. Britain's politicians should be looking down under for illumination."

Incandescent lightbulbs waste most of their energy input (95%) through heat, and the Australian initiative is estimated to save 800,000 tones of CO2 from current emissions levels - no small difference. Replacing incandescent bulbs is not only more carbon-friendly, but cuts down on household bills by lasting longer and using less energy. Energy efficiency standards will be raised in Australia so that bulbs that do not meet the minimum requirements (incandescent ones) simply cannot be sold.

There already is a UK-based campaign to ban the bulb, and its main organiser was featured in the BBC's Green Room environmental journalism series last year, providing a snappy summary of the campaign. Leo Hickman, Guardian ethical correspondent discusses the issue here. Phillips and Tesco are cottoning on to the low-energy lightbulb too: the former that it will be phasing out its own incandescent products within ten years, while the latter has halved the price of its flourescent bulbs as part of its pledges to tackle climate change.

Lightbulbs are usually the first thing that shoots out of my campaigning mouth when people ask 'what can I do to cut down on my carbon emissions' because lighting is something simple, tangible and that all houses have - and most importantly, it does make a difference. Switching an entire (average-sized) house to low-energy lightbulbs could save around 230kg of CO2 a year. I'm all for freedom of choice, but there are some things that somehow defy common sense, and what about the public interest? The basic technical design of the bulb has remained unchanged for over 125 years!

Tony Blair, believe it or not, hit the nail on the head when he remarked that he looks forward to the day when environmental concerns are a given for any product in the same way that health and safety considerations are. We should expect no less.