Promoting energy-saving lamps cannot be oversimplified

　　Earlier this month, the National Development and Reform Commission announced that starting from October 1, 2012, the sale and import of 100-watt and above incandescent lamps for general lighting will be prohibited; by October 1, 2016, the import and sale of 15-watt and above ordinary incandescent lamps will be banned. This means that incandescent lamps will complete their mission of general lighting and be replaced by energy-saving lamps. With the increasing popularity of green and low-carbon concepts, most households have already adopted energy-saving lamps. However, facing the "countdown" of incandescent lamps' exit, experts warn that the current qualification rate of energy-saving lamps is low and the recycling system is blank, so this handover process cannot be simply "dismissed at once."

　　On the afternoon of November 20, a reporter saw in some supermarkets and shopping malls in Nanning city that shelves were filled with a wide variety of energy-saving lamps, with only a few low-wattage incandescent lamps placed in the corner of the shelves. "Incandescent lamps consume a lot of electricity; it's only a matter of time before they are banned from use," said Mr. Wang, a citizen. He calculated an account for the reporter: previously, his home had 9 light bulbs installed, all ordinary incandescent bulbs of 40 to 100 watts, which were turned on for 3 to 4 hours every day, consuming about 70 kWh of electricity per month for lighting, with electricity bills of more than 40 yuan. Now that the living room has been changed to 24 watts, and all others have been replaced with 12-watt energy-saving lamps, the monthly lighting electricity consumption will not exceed 20 kWh. "Although energy-saving lamps are more expensive than incandescent lamps, and I spent more than 100 yuan on 9 energy-saving lamps, calculating the electricity bill saved, it's still quite worthwhile."

　　During interviews, most citizens believe that energy-saving lamps are both energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, and replacing incandescent lamps is the general trend. "It's just that it would be better if the price of energy-saving lamps could be lower," some citizens said. An incandescent bulb costs only two or three yuan at most, while an energy-saving lamp costs at least five or six yuan. They hope that there can be more energy-saving lamp brands with good quality and affordable prices in the market.

An expert told reporters that promoting energy-saving lamps to replace incandescent bulbs cannot be done by simply "eliminating them." According to data previously released by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the qualification rate of energy-saving lamps in China is less than 40%. Not long ago, a test report released by the Beijing Consumer Association showed that, in sampling inspections of energy-saving lamps from 33 enterprises in 7 provinces and cities including Beijing and Shanghai, more than 20% of the energy-saving lamps failed to deliver energy-saving effects, and more than 70% had power measurement indicators that did not meet standards. Many products flying the "energy-saving" banner are "not only not energy-saving, but actually especially power-hungry."

"It is evident to all that energy-saving lamps save electricity, but their potential pollution hazards and ecological risks cannot be underestimated." Industry insiders revealed that an ordinary energy-saving lamp contains about 5 milligrams of mercury, which can contaminate 1,800 tons of water if it seeps into the ground. A person in charge of an enterprise promoting government-subsidized high-efficiency lighting products told reporters that the current recycling system for waste energy-saving lamps is still a blank, and most citizens also just throw away discarded energy-saving lamps. "Therefore, to promote and popularize energy-saving lamps, in addition to continuously improving and enhancing their quality, it is also necessary to establish supporting policies such as waste recycling. Only in this way can the public use them with confidence, which is also beneficial for environmental protection and resource recycling."