Australia goes green

This is the kind of action that should be taken in every country of the world. Every step, little as it may be, counts:

Australia will be the world’s first country to ban incandescent lightbulbs in a bid to curb greenhouse gas emissions, with the government saying on Tuesday they would be phased out within three years and replaced by compact fluorescent lighting.

By 2009, Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull told local radio, "you simply won’t be able to buy incandescent lightbulbs, because they won’t meet the energy standard."
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In incandescent light bulbs, perfected for mass use by Thomas Edison in the late 19th century, electricity flows through a filament to create light. Much of the energy, however, is wasted in the form of heat.
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Under the Australian plan, bulbs that do not comply with energy efficiency targets would be gradually banned from sale. Exemptions may apply for special needs such as medical lighting and oven lights.

Fluorescent bulbs are currently more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but use only about 20 percent of the power to produce the same amount of light and last longer, making them more competitive over time, advocates argue.

The article says that similar measures are being considered in California and New Jersey in the US, and in Venezuela and, of all places, Cuba.

Unfortunately for Australia, its desire of wanting to cut greenhouse gases is grossly shortchanged by its unwillingness to ratify the Kyoto protocol, for fears of damaging its economy.