Green bulbs switched on in the Philippines

Excellent news reaches us from the Philippines where a ban on old-fashioned incandescent bulbs has recently been announced.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced plans for phasing out inefficient bulbs by January 2010, adding the Asian archipelago to the growing list of countries, including Ireland and Japan, which are slashing their emissions by shifting to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). So pressure is building up on our own government - and indeed the entire EU - to bring in their own mandatory efficiency standards for light bulbs.

According to edie.net:

"Experts estimate the switch to CFLs will result in household lighting costs in the Philippines falling by as much as 80%, and the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions falling by 2m metric tonnes from 2010. National electricity demand is expected to fall by 2,000 megawatts - equivalent to the electricity generated by six power plants."