Too Soon to Turn Out the Lights?

Congress is mandating the elimination of incandescent light bulbs by 2014. I think that we shouldn't write off incandescence quite yet. First, compact flourescents contain mercury and thus environmental problems with disposal.

Second, flourescents can't be dimmed nor are they always bright enough. I've tried one in my desk lamp and it is just too dim. I'd miss being able to adjust the level of light to set the right mood or create the right environment for dining, watching a movie, or reading. About half the bulbs in our house are compact flourescents but in the other half of the fixtures they would be an inferior choice.

Third, "incandescence" is such a wonderful world. It rolls around the tongue and slips out like an early morning whisper. It speaks of warmth, of a special glow, of an ethereal quality.

GE claims that it has an incandescent bulb that will be as efficient as flourescent by 2010. We ought to allow -- and encourage -- multiple paths toward the goal of greater energy efficiency. The government should not mandate technologies; they are too susceptable to the pressure of lobbyists and the deliberative legislative process is a mismatch with the fast changing world of technology.

If incandescents are to go the way of the buggy whip, I'd rather it be because consumers choose an alternative rather than having no choice at all.