By Scott Patterson

In the U.S., government and environment activists are pressuring its people to convert from using old traditional incandescent lamps to LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) and CFLs (Compact Florescent Lamps). The public resist the notion that their freedom of choosing the type of lights they can use being strip away. Radio talk-show and TV-show hosts have rebelled and said that the new policy is unconstitutional. The government has no rights to tell its people what kind of light they can use.
 
This adaption process will take time as what we have learned from the history. Transition from one technology to another is a long battle. When incandescent light first become available, the adaption took over decades. After Thomas Edison invented incandescent bulb in 1879, the adaption does not went as smoothly and quickly as most of us might think. Even 30 years after the invention of the first incandescent light bulb, people are concerned with its effect on their health and some people simply considered incandescent lights are less flattering.
 
In 1910 only 10 percent of American households have lights, by 1920 there were only 20 percent of the households have electricity. There was never a lack of electricity contractors, but simply a lack of interest in the public. Even with the advertisers claiming that houses with incandescent light bulbs will be brighter and happier, the effect was minimal.

Homeowners without electricity can buy battery-powered lamps. However, these bulbs are extremely expensive and can cost up to $1.15 each and it burns up easily, they are hardly a reliable source of light. Also, a lamp with a shade cost about 5 dollars and a socket that goes with it cost an additional 25 cents. The cost of a single batter is about $12.50 and would only last about 1 to 1 and half hours of use which has automatically ruled itself out for a typical household use. 

Consumers at this time simply were not convinced that the technology is safe. Incandescent light bulbs seem so much brighter than gas light. Some rumor even said that one can go blind if staring at an incandescent light bulb long enough. Women prefer how their skin looks under gas light; they have found them to be more flattering.

One theory has it, that they believe light bulbs to cause freckles because of the electricity contained and flowed within the light bulbs and wires. They think the electricity artificially produced to be harmful to the human bodies. Italian scientist Luigi Galvani has found that the electricity in the body causes muscle movement, contract and relax. Galvani’s discovery led people to believe that the electricity passing through our bodies is no different from the electricity used to power machineries and light bulbs. If electricity is this magnificent natural force, use electricity in a battery and through wires might disrupt the balance in the natural world.
 
If we look at the current resistance toward adapting LED light bulbs, we find people simply like to hold on to what they are use to. Excuses like the light is too dull, the cost is too high, and no one knows the healthy impact of CFLs and LEDs are common amount the end users.

The media like to depict how people are being force to pick CFLs and LEDs. It is a marathon of a non-stop satire that reiterates the government believes its people are not capable of making an environment friendly decision on their own. They have forgotten that the old incandescent bulbs were banned due to its waste of energy.
 
See lights and not their wattage consumed, this is the new motto when it comes to choosing new energy efficient light bulbs. Lumen is a unit measuring the amount of light produced while wattage describes the amount of electricity consumed. In 2012, surely people will gradually become familiar with this term with house owners replacing old incandescent light bulbs. 

"Let's make lumen the word of 2012" said LEDinside. The reason why measuring light using wattage is going obsolete is because the new energy efficient light bulbs including CFL and LED light bulbs can produce equally amount of light as the old incandescent light bulbs by using far less energy, an old incandescent light bulb only covert 10 percent of what energy it consumed into light.

Nevertheless, this is going to be a hard switch choosing light bulbs by their lumens, the amount of light it produces, than looking at the wattage, the amount of energy it consumes.  The federal lighting commission knew that standardized labels can bring clarity on to the shelves.
New light specification labels are required for all new light bulbs. Similar to nutrient labels, they have all the details one needs to know about the light bulb that they are purchasing. That is to include lumen, the amount of light produced, longevity, the usable life of the bulb, light color, whether it is cold, bluish, or warm, yellowish light.

LEDinside believes by providing consumers an easy way to comparison, they will be able to make confident and smart choice on their own and save their electricity bill on the way.

CFLs and LEDs have a longer usable life, for a standard LED bulb typically lasts 20 plus years. That means fewer trips up the ladder to change light bulbs and less electricity consumed on lighting.

However, the cost of energy efficient light bulbs can come as a shock to many people. A halogen or CFL light bulb can cost up to 5 dollars and a LED light bulb can cost well over 25 dollars.

Most of the new energy efficient light bulbs are going to pay itself off in a year, says LEDinside. The future is moving more and more towards LEDs. A light bulb we saw last year pricing at 40 dollars is 20 dollars this year. LEDs are energy efficient and long lasting. LEDs are the light of the future.