Obama: Light bulbs important, not sexy
Just days after the ACES bill (barely) passes the House, Obama announces new, decidedly unsexy energy standards for lamps.
Tue, Jun 30 2009 at 7:32 PM EST
Yesterday at a White House press conference, President Barack Obama had a bright idea:
I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action [a focus on making lamps and other lighting fixtures more energy-efficient] holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and businesses.
Obama’s aggressive, CLF-centric plan to reduce emissions, create new jobs and save money comes just a couple of days after the Waxman-Markey ACES Bill passed the House. The bill, the first comprehensive piece of legislation that focuses on regulating greenhouse gases emissions, is a big deal but some environmental groups like Greenpeace, as tech blogger Karl Burkart points out, are unsatisfied.
Obama goes on in his speech to say:
Between 2012 and 2042, these new standards will save consumers up to $4 billion a year, conserve enough electricity to power every home in America for 10 months, reduce emissions equal to the amount produced by a 166,000, 000 cars each year, and eliminate the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants.
Obama then admits that the White House itself isn't up to snuff when it comes to energy efficient lighting and that that will soon change. Sounds great to me. Do you think light bulbs should be made a top priority behind household appliances? Or is their another energy-guzzling household item that deserves the attention of the Obama administration? Switching from standard bulbs to CFLs is certainly quick and easy but not without consequences ... the backlash to mercury-filled, hard-to-dispose-of CFLs is quite strong.
Via [HuffPo Green]
Photo: bitzcelt
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