20 April 2007 - Berlin,
Germany — Energy wasting incandescent lightbulbs
are so dangerously inefficient it's better
for the climate (and your wallet) to smash
even brand new ones rather than use them.
So we got a road roller and crushed 10,000
energy wasting lightbulbs at the Brandenburg
Gate, while EU and G8 ministers were meeting
in Berlin today.
We've used this occasion to launch our
campaign for tough European efficiency standards
for energy using products, and an immediate
ban on incandescent lightbulbs. If EU governments
are serious about meeting their CO2 reduction
commitments, they should at least be able
to act quickly on something as simple as
lightbulbs.
Some lightbulbs are more cool than others
It's debatable whether you can call compact
fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) "hip",
but they're definitely more cool - literally.
Incandescent bulbs waste over 90 percent
of the energy they use as heat. CFLs use
five times less energy - meaning less global
warming pollution.
Newer quality CFLs also produce mellow
pleasing light, and come on right away without
flickering.
According to the International Energy Agency,
electrical lighting uses 19 percent of all
electricity produced - more than all energy
produced by nuclear power. Governments and
even lightbulb manufactures are already
calling for an end to energy wasting lightbulbs.
European Union situation
As a rough calculation: Every (11 Watt)
CFL saves 20kg CO2 per year on average.
So for Europe... 20kg CO2 x 1.6 billion
bulbs sold = 32 million tons CO2 potential
savings per year.
By just switching from old to new lighting
technology in the EU we could close down
25 medium sized power plants (2TWh/year),
and possibly save Europe 3-5 billion euros.
On the EU level there's a process called
the Ecodesign directive, which could eventually
result in effectively banning energy wasting
lightbulbs, but so far it's just talk. Rather
than waiting, EU ministers should instigate
immediate national bans on lightbulbs, and
push for enforcement of an Europe-wide mandatory
efficiency standard on domestic lighting
by 2010.
What you can do
The first and easiest thing is to replace
your energy wasting incandescent lightbulbs
with modern CFLs. It's better to throw out
even brand new energy wasting incandescent
bulbs then use them. Switching to CFLs will
reduce your personal energy use, prevent
pollution and save you some money - while
sending a message to politicians and business
leaders.
