Progressive Wednesday

How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?

We have to give a progressive “tip of the hat– to lawmakers in the California State Assembly, and in particular Assemblyman Lloyd Levine. Levine has once again introduced boldly progressive legislation to drastically reduce energy consumption in all California homes. Last year he authored a law to require all grocery stores to have recycling for plastic bags. If passed, the new law would ban the use of standard incandescent light bulbs by the year 2012. In their place, the über-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

But why is this so important? Why mandate the switch to compact fluorescents and who stands to benefit. According to Levine:

Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications. Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light.

Compare that to compact fluorescents, which use about a quarter of the energy, and it adds up to big savings for the consumer. As the Rocky Mountain Institute points out:

Compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more efficient than incandescents, and last nine to thirteen times as long. They cost more up-front, but not over the long term.

You can check out what the means to your checkbook and the environment with this informative chart.

There are other benefits as well. Southern California Edison, one of California biggest utility companies, is running a rebate program to encourage an even quicker transition, cutting the cost of a CFL by a dollar a piece.

So, in the end, you stand to benefit. So does the environment, polar bears, ice caps and your pocketbook. Heck, even Wal-Mart is catching on. But to wait for lawmakers to make a difference would go against everything we stand for. CFLs fit in any standard light socket and can be found almost anywhere that incandescents can. So make the switch, and make progress.

A big thanks for the photo go to this person.