China’s Ban on the Incandescent Bulb
Posted: November 8th, 2011 | Author: Giovanni Traverso | Filed under: LIGHT AND REGULATIONS | 2 Comments »
China has announced that it will join the US and the EU in phasing out the use of incandescent light bulbs. The move is set to commence in October 2012 for bulbs of 100 watts and above, with a complete ban being introduced by October 2016. Over a billion incandescent bulbs are used annually across the country, and with the ban in place, China could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 48 million tonnes per year.
However, despite the obvious environmental benefits of such a strategy, it is not all good news. Investigations have been made into the effects of energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) on human health and well-being, the results of which are not so positive.
Politically, governments are often so concerned with the problems of global warming and creating energy efficient environments that they fail to include other factors, in this case the well-being of their citizens. Instead of imposing a complete ban on the incandescent lightbulb as an object, we ought to think about our relationship with and our use of our light sources. Using artificial light only when required, rather than the background and supplementary lighting which is all too often unnecessary, would also enable us to increase the energy efficiency of such systems and lower carbon dioxide production, while simultaneously taking human health and well-being into account. The answer, we would suggest, is always to select the right light for the right place at the right time.
