BRUSSELS — Minister of the Environment Bruno Tobback likes the Australian idea of banning old-fashioned incandescent light-bulbs, De Standaard writes. Tobback wants to suggest the ban at the government meeting later this year.

Australia is planning a gradual ban on incandescent light-bulbs, hoping to decrease greenhouse gas emission by four tonnes a year by 2012. Europe is expected to follow the plan. It is already being discussed in the Netherlands.

In Tobback’s opinion, the ban on incandescent light-bulbs should be included in the list of measures under the Kyoto Protocol.

Energy-saving bulbs matching are more expensive but last up to six times longer and use less than a quarter of the energy used by an incandescent light-bulb for the same light intensity.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news