(NaturalNews) The Energy Committee of the U.S. Senate is drafting a bill that would phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs in the United States. Incandescent bulbs, the same type of light bulb first developed by Thomas Edison, produce light by forcing an electric current through a thin filament. This filament is heated up and, as a consequence, emits light. These bulbs are incredibly inefficient, however, and up to 90 percent of the energy put into them gets released in the form of heat rather than light.
Other methods of producing illumination include fluorescent light, which uses heated gases, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Both are significantly more efficient and longer-lived than incandescent bulbs, although more expensive.
The move to ban incandescent bulbs is part of a wider attempt to curb U.S. energy usage in order to address the problem of global warming. According to the Department of Energy, 22 percent of U.S. energy usage goes toward lighting, although it is not clear from this statistic how much of this energy is currently consumed by fluorescents versus incandescents.
Australia has already announced that it will phase out the sale of incandescent light bulbs by 2010, and Canada plans to meet that goal by 2012. Thirteen U.S. states are also considering proposals to at least partially ban incandescent bulbs.
Some environmentalists hope that a switch to fluorescent or LED bulbs would help curb the growth of the coal industry, as coal is the primary source of electricity in the United States. According to Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, a worldwide switch to compact fluorescent bulbs would save enough energy to take 270 coal-fired power plants offline. Consumer advocate Mike Adams, founder of EcoLEDs (www.EcoLEDs.com), says that LED lights represent the future of Earth-friendly lighting because they contain no mercury, unlike compact fluorescent lights.
General Electric has not abandoned hope for incandescent bulbs, however. The company has announced that it hopes to release a new type of incandescent bulb in 2010 that is as energy efficient as a compact fluorescent.
###
Related Articles
• Why light bulbs are accelerating global warming and mercury contamination
• Australia bans incandescent light bulbs with three-year phase-out
• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs May Be Hazardous to Your Health
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs contaminate the environment with 30,000 pounds of mercury each year
• Incandescent lighting fast becoming history as states push for more energy efficient technology
 |
Popular Topics:
light bulbs, energy-efficient lighting, incandescent bulbs, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury |
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
 Email this article to a friend
 Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/022293.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
 Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
 Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
The Amazing Light Bulb
Bush Saves Earth!
|
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|
Printable Version
