When the Energy Independence and Security Act EISA was signed into law in 2007, among its provisions was the eventual phasing out of an icon of 20th-century life: the familiar but notoriously inefficient incandescent light bulb, which wastes 90 percent of its energy use as heat, not light.
In response, conservative pundits howled in protest, claiming the law would destroy the free market, bankrupt consumers and unravel the very fabric of American life. The destruction and mayhem hasn’t happened yet, but that hasn’t stopped the grumbling from certain hidebound commentators.
As a result, many people have heard a number of ill-founded stories about the effect of the phasing-out of incandescent bulbs, which use a heated tungsten filament to produce light, and the dangers of compact fluorescent lamps CFLs and light-emitting diode LED lights. Here are a few facts that shine a light on some of the more odious myths being circulated today. [Light Bulbs: Incandescent, Fluorescent, LED Infographic]
Dispatches From The Front 