More hopeful is India's plan to replace 400 million incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents by the end of next year.

Incandescent bulbs have a typical life of 1,000 hours, compact fluorescents about 8,000 hours.

Most compact fluorescents above 13 watts with integral electronic ballasts achieve about 60 lm/W.

It takes two 100-watt bulbs or two compact fluorescents.

We know how to make windmills and bicycles, compact cities and compact fluorescents.

Within five years, the industry believes, diode-based lights will be more efficient than compact fluorescents.

Australia plans to phase out incandescents in favor of compact fluorescents by 2010; Canada by 2012.

Smaller than existing compact fluorescents, the bulb will fit in many more fixtures.

Other manufacturers have been developing similar compact fluorescents.

It will also work in the cold, unlike existing compact fluorescents, which require mild or warm temperatures to light.