Fresh from its last-minute acceptance of a global climate deal last month in Bali, the US underlined its green credentials by flicking the switch on the power-hungry incandescent light bulb.
The Energy Independence and Security Act, which President George W. Bush signed into law on 18 December, is a mandate for phasing out 100-watt incandescent bulbs starting in 2012, 75-watt bulbs in 2013 and 60-watt bulbs in 2014. They will be replaced by energy-saving alternatives such as compact fluorescent lighting. It also proposes a fivefold increase in the availability of biofuel by 2022, and making vehicles 40 per cent…
