The hot filament of the incandescent bulb has illuminated our loved ones, our books, our rooms for so long that its glow has come to feel as natural as daylight — maybe more so, since most of us spend the majority of our waking hours indoors and accompanied by its light. But now the days of Edison’s bulb are numbered. The Energy Independence and Security Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007, set strict efficiency standards for lighting that most incandescent bulbs will never be able to meet. The standards will be phased in over several years, beginning in 2012. Our familiar 100-watt bulbs will disappear from store shelves first, then 75-watt, then 60….By 2014, almost all the incandescent light we have traditionally used in our homes will be unavailable. Similar restrictions have already begun to take effect in Europe, Australia, Brazil, and Venezuela. China has begun its phase-out of incandescence, and Canada will begin its in 2012.
more from Jane Brox at the Boston Globe here.