Light bulb ban is a bright idea

After signing a major energy initiative in Brussels yesterday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern admitted that Ireland will have to make significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in coming years.

The Government’s strategy is to be published shortly in a white paper.

Ireland has been falling behind in efforts to meet the Kyoto target of keeping greenhouse gas emission to within 13% of 1990 levels. Emissions from transport alone increased by 8% last year.

The Taoiseach played down the increase as very low in comparison with the country’s economic growth. But as a result this country will have to invest in clean technology in other countries to cover our excess of 21 millions tons of carbon dioxide.

EU leaders succeeded in agreeing to 17 measures that are aimed at overhauling the use of energy in Europe by 2020.

Among the steps being considered is a novel attempt to ban the use of incandescent light bulbs, because long life, or fluorescent bulbs, use only a fifth as much electricity. This would reduce the carbon emissions from lighting by 60%.

The Green group in the European Parliament will be urging MEPs in Strasbourg next week to ban the bulb. This would make economic and environmental sense.