California may ban conventional lightbulbs by 2012: “A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent lightbulbs as part of California’s groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming…

‘Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications,’ California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said on Tuesday.

‘Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light.’

Levine is expected to introduce the legislation this week, his office said.

If passed, it would be another pioneering environmental effort in California, the most populous U.S. state. It became the first state to mandate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use about 25 percent of the energy of conventional lightbulbs.” (Yahoo! News)