The financial crisis has dominated the news, so a small but significant step has barely caught any attention. The EU-countries have agreed upon a ban on incandescent lightbulbs, starting in 2010. This has to be ratified by the EU-commission and parliament before it becomes mandatory, but nevertheless.....
The real significance is the willingness to take such a step. It is clear that a system of carbon credits will never have enough financial impact on the purchase price of lightbulbs to bridge the gap with alternative lightsources. Most people tend to neglect the cost of ownership when purchasing a lightsource, so this would never lead to the introduction of new technology. Only a mandatory across-the-board ban on old technology will make the difference.
Some time ago this would have been branded as state-intervention of the worst kind. Apparently times have changed.
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