In April, we reported that a total worldwide ban on incandescent light bulbs could save 470 million tons of CO2, more than half the reductions called for by the Kyoto Treaty.

Today, the U.S. takes action on that concept through an 822-page energy bill that Congress passed and delivered to the White House in a hybrid Toyota Prius, for President Bush’s signature.

The bill bans the famously inefficient incandescent light bulb by 2012 and puts tougher miles-per-gallon rules on new cars.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has projected that the bill will reduce energy use by 7 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 9 percent in 2030. The think tank also estimates that the bill will save consumers and businesses more than $400 billion between now and 2030, “accounting for both energy cost savings and the moderately higher price of energy-efficient products.”

Source: Building Design+Construction