| The first ever practical, long lasting incandescent light | | | | and California have taken ground-breaking steps |
| bulb was developed by Thomas Edison in 1879. While | | | | toward elimination of the use of incandescent lighting |
| Edison did not invent the concept of the light bulb, he | | | | altogether. New regulations push consumers to replace |
| was the first to create a version of the electric light | | | | energy wasting incandescent bulbs with compact |
| bulb that was safe, practical and cost-effective for | | | | fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. With goals aimed at |
| home lighting. To achieve success with the light bulb, | | | | reducing hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon |
| Edison played a critical role in overcoming challenges | | | | dioxide emissions and banning incandescent bulbs in |
| that were hindering the innovation of the electric light | | | | just a few years, other communities are sure to follow |
| bulb by developing such electrical breakthroughs as the | | | | in these leaders' environmentally conscious footsteps. |
| parallel circuit, an underground conductor framework | | | | There is concern about the economic cost that |
| and light sockets with switches. | | | | aggressive lighting regulations will pass on to |
| Today, electrical lighting is a commodity and is | | | | consumers, as incandescent bulbs are sold at a much |
| considered an indispensable component of life and | | | | lower cost than compact fluorescent bulbs. While |
| business. Alongside widespread consumer use of | | | | initially a higher investment, fluorescent bulbs prove their |
| incandescent light bulbs has come a realization of the | | | | worth in saved energy costs and a much longer useful |
| environmental and economical drawbacks of the once | | | | life than incandescent bulbs. Additionally, as more |
| coveted technology. As more advanced technology | | | | governments institute energy conservation legislation |
| such as fluorescent lighting began to provide | | | | favoring fluorescent bulbs, their consumption volume |
| consumers with an alternative to incandescent bulbs, it | | | | will increase and prices are sure to drop as a result. |
| became clear that incandescent bulbs produce an | | | | Electric incandescent lighting technology has changed |
| excessive amount of energy waste as compared to | | | | little to none in the over 125 years since its inception. |
| their more energy efficient counterparts. Only about 5 | | | | As the world becomes more aware and concerned |
| percent of the energy consumed by an incandescent | | | | about human effects on the environment, innovative |
| light bulb is used to produce light, while 95 percent is | | | | regulations are certain to have an enormous and |
| released as waste in the form of heat. Prevalent | | | | increasing impact on lighting use and energy |
| awareness and activism concerning the environmental | | | | consumption. While the future does not look bright for |
| repercussions of electrical waste, such as greenhouse | | | | incandescent light bulbs, modern fluorescent lighting and |
| gas emissions into the atmosphere, perpetuate the | | | | rapidly progressing LED lighting technology are gaining |
| urgency of reducing energy consumption and thus | | | | a stronghold on the lighting industry and consumer |
| waste. | | | | preference. |
| Energy conservation leaders such as Australia, Ontario | | | | |