A bright idea

It's remarkable that one of the least controversial means of reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions hasn't yet found its way onto the lengthy list of private members' bills in Parliament. But Paul Dewar is making sure that the need to phase out incandescent light bulbs won't be ignored:

A Private Members’ Bill that would effectively phase out the sale and use of incandescent bulbs is being drafted by NDP MP Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre).

Incandescent light bulbs use electricity that flows through a filament to create light. Approximately 95% of the energy each standard light bulb uses is wasted as heat. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), in comparison, use only 20% as much electricity to produce the same amount of light.

“Canadians want changes in how we produce and use energy. My bill will phase out the production of incandescent bulbs and replace them with energy-efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescents,” said Dewar. “Changing light bulbs is a simple measure that will make a huge difference -- in terms of the environment and the electricity bill of ordinary Canadian families. Changing even one bulb will generate up to $50 in energy savings and cut greenhouse emissions by up to half a tonne over the lifetime of the bulb. The technology already exists, let’s use it.”...

According to calculations from Australia, where similar legislation is being introduced, lighting, which is mostly from incandescent lamps, represents 12% of greenhouse gas emissions from households, about 25% of commercial-sector emissions and another 25% from emissions associated with public and street lighting.

Since the opposition parties didn't have any trouble agreeing to pass a bill on the immediate end goal of Canada's environmental policy, they'll hopefully at least be willing to work in concert to start putting some of the means in place as well. And if Dewar's bill can show how much of a difference can be made by even a single common-sense change in energy use, that should in turn pave the way for far stronger action on the wider issue of emission reduction.