A Glimpse of a Future in a New Kind of Light. The ubiquitous lightbulb is quietly on its way to being replaced by light-emitting microchips that work longer and use less power. By Barnaby J. Feder. [New York Times: Science]
“We are not talking about replacing light bulbs,” said Arpad Bergh, a former Bell Labs researcher who is president of an industry trade group working with the government to promote the new technology. “We are talking about a totally new lighting industry.”
The technologies we take for granted offer huge opportunities for savings — of money as well as energy. Last time I checked, the US balance of payments deficit was about the size of our imported energy budget. An energy efficiency “Apollo Project” would have far more significant — and longer lasting — impact on the economy than a tax cut for the rich that even Alan Greenspan says is not necessary.
