Euro Bulb Ban Begins, But Many Take Dim View of CFLs

Though proponents plug the financial savings and good climate karma of compact fluorescent light bulbs, not everyone thinks the European ban on most incandescent bulbs that kicks in tomorrow is such a bright idea, the New York Times reports. Consumers across the continent are hoarding old-school bulbs, worried over the aesthetic difference of CFL-lit spaces.

The new bulbs can cost as much as $14, to 70¢ for an old incandescent, but authorities say replacing wasteful old with efficient new will save the continent $7.2 billion annually. “But the downside is that the light isn’t as nice,” says one Parisian; incandescent sales in Germany are up 34% this year. The US will begin phasing out incandescents in 2012, the Times notes.
(More incandescent bulbs stories.)