Tuesday 4 December 2007

Greenpeace calls for new light-bulbs law

RTE News has reported on Greenpeace activists who have flown a massive banner from the Spire on O'Connell Street, Dublin - calling for a new light-bulb law.

The campaigners want Environment Minister, John Gormley to set official standards for light-bulbs or 'ban the bulb'. They say inefficient light-bulbs should be outlawed by January 2010.

Greenpeace Campaigner, Eoin Dubsky said - "Irish Government negotiators attending the UN Climate Conference in Bali, which starts today, have the opportunity to announce savings of as much as 15% of Ireland's residential electricity demand."

Dubsky added - "We want Ireland to lead the way for the EU on this. France, last month, announced a ban on incandescent light-bulbs by 2010, but details are still hazy. Other governments recently backpedalled - saying that EU law won't let them set energy standards for light-bulbs. If Europe's largest light-bulb manufacturers - Philips, Osram & GE - have their way, it could be 2019 before we are finally rid of their most wasteful, outdated products."

Greenpeace says that Ireland could save more energy per household than any other EU country, simply by switching to efficient light-bulbs. That is because Ireland currently has the highest energy consumption per household for lighting at 920 kWh (the worst in the EU-27) - compared with, for instance, Germany at 337 kWh.

Activists also delivered a petition - containing over 10,000 signatures - to Minister Gormley.

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