China, the world’s biggest carbon dioxide producer, will substitute incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient ones. The problem of increased costs. Experts: if all of the world followed suit annual emissions could be cut by up to 500 million tones.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – In its fright against pollution, China, which produces up to 70% of the world’s light bulbs, will substitute within the next ten years all of its incandescent bulbs with energy efficient ones.  Monique Barbut, chief executive of Global Environment Facility (an environmental protection agency , which manages funds amounting to 3.2 billion dollars), explains that, if all of the world followed suit annual emissions could be cut by up to 500 million tones, the equivalent of Germany’s total emissions.

Within a year Beijing will be the world’s top greenhouse gas producer.  Even if energy consumption for lighting amounts to only 12 % of the total, authorities want to cut pollution. Pan Jiahua Pan Jiahua , of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Research Centre for Sustainable Development, explains the government had launched an initiative in 1996 to promote their use in government buildings, shopping malls and offices and for public lighting. But he said the mainland would need more than 10 years to phase out incandescent bulbs particularly in rural areas.

Fluorescent lights last ten times longer than incandescent ones, but they cost 4 times more.  This is why the changeover is easier for richer nations such as Australia, who has announced a total ban by 2010.

• CHINA
• POLLUTION
• ENVIORNEMTAL
• PROTECTION
• GREEN
• HOUSE
• GASES
• LIGHT
• BULBS