It's time to ban the incandescent lightbulb. Tax it to death.
This Brit knows it, and it's about time America knew it as well.
Here are some facts of which you may not be aware...
FACT:
Compact Flourescent lightbulbs are now cheap. You can get them for well under the $7 that most people think they cost. For example,
here are some for under $3. Even adding $1/bulb for potential disposal fees, and it still only takes a year or two to get your money back in reduced electricity bills.
FACT: No, compact flourescents do not flicker. The new batch of CF bulbs are high frequency, unlike the flourescents in old office buildings.
FACT: No, compact flourescents aren't "cold light" Though you can get full-spectrum CF bulbs (and they are great for fighting that wintertime cabin fever) there are a lot of soft/warm CF bulbs available.
FACT: Yes, you can get dimmable CF bulbs. They cost a bit more, but they exist.
FACT: Incandescents cause twice as much mercury pollution. Much hay is made about the mercury that is used in CF bulbs. Even if you improperly disposed of them (PDF link), they would still put less mercury into the environment than the amount released by coal burning to provide the extra energy for an incandescent. Today, more mercury is put into landfills from thrown out wristwatch batteries than CF bulbs. Not that you shouldn't dispose of them properly, but it isn't a legitimate criticism.
FACT: You'll probably only ever buy one or two CF bulbs per socket. Since they last for years, by the time you need to replace a CF bulb, you'll be able to buy an LED lightbulb that is more efficient and about as fragile as a glowstick. This is a transitional technology.
So, phase in a $5/bulb tax on all non-specialty incandescents says I, with the proceeds going to free energy appliance upgrades for the poor. What brave legislator will fly in the face of major incandescent bulb producers and introduce such a bill?