This should begin a lively debate about the future of lighting.

1. The uninformed use and promotion of fluorescent lighting will be a disaster for the ergonomics of our environment. Why not just master color MH. Incandescent has the distinction of being dimmed to use less energy than fluorescent and it is anecdotal but a fact that people will dim lighting given the opportunity.
2. Dimming fluorescent is not even similar to dimming incandescent. There is no change in clor temp and it can only achieve a bootom range not dim to off. Plus color does not change.
3. The lamp manufacturers are so excited $$$$$$$$. they even got to sit with Ms. Harman in congress to voice the joy.
4. Fixtures and lamps are 5x the capitol cost, and with no dimming and poor implementation will not reduce energy use further except at the expense of the uninformed and unrepresented public. Oh right lighting consultants should spend their vast wealth to inform our representatives.
5. Oh and the Mercury.
6. LED's are not the silver bullit. They have no greater efficacy and as they get brighter they are even less efficient.
7. More forward thinking design (definatly not codes) and just turn off the lights, no other changes are required.
8. Or us dumb animals will adapt to even cat food if necessary.

Chew on that!

Certainly some interesting points and I appreciate the lively debate.

Even though incandescent lamps don't contain mercury within, the increased wattage consumption causes more power plant emissions than that of a CFL. Certainly there are small traces of mercury in fluorescent lamps, but much more is being produced from power plants using fossil fuel combustion to create energy. According to Flex Your Power (a California _base_d organization that provides resources for energy efficiency and conservation), fossil-fueled power plants are the largest man-made sources from which mercury enters the environment (58% of the total), emitting 0.04 milligrams of mercury per kilowatt-hour sold.

I agree with taking steps to reduce consumption by turning lights off but also see advancing technologies to consume less without sacraficing the quality and functionaltliy. To this I say keep supporting the advancement of new technologies.