Slow Adoption Rate in US for Compact Fluorescents

WAPO has an interesting post on the adoption of CFLs here in the States. The overall trend for CFL adoption is positive for the United States (up from less than 1% to over 6%), and this is a good thing.

But that compares dismally with CFL adoption rates in other wealthy countries such as Japan (80 percent), Germany (50 percent) and the United Kingdom (20 percent). Australia has announced a phaseout of incandescent bulbs by 2009, and the Canadian province of Ontario decided last week to ban them by 2012.

I have high hopes for CFLs as a way to reduce energy consumption, reduce our impact on global warming, reduce our dependence on foreign fossil fuels... and save me money at the same time. However, we really need to get with the program. If you're not using compact fluorescents, I suggest you give them a try. And heck, I'll forgive you if you just gotta have that trusty ol' tungsten bulb as a reading light by the bed.

Ultimately, I think it'll take either a ban on incandescent bulbs or an energy/luxury tax to get the U.S. to switch. I would like to be proven wrong.