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This paper aims at a better understanding of the governance of the abandonment of socio-technical regimes through the example of the incandescent light bulb phase-out in the European Union and in the Netherlands as one specific case where the EU discontinuation policy has been implemented. In particular, with this paper we focus on the active and intended discontinuation of a socio-technical regime through dedicated governance. Methods: We approached the phase-out of the incandescent light bulb from a qualitative perspective and analysed about 230 documents from the EU and Dutch level. The study has an explorative character, for we cannot claim to describe the entire policy process, but bring to surface some key issues in order to outline both governance foci and technicalities of governing the phase-out. We looked into how governance makers were actually structuring the ILB phase-out as a governance task. The specific framings we found were grouped into the (a) spectrum of governance dimensions, (b) the more detailed problem-types raised, and (c) the array of discontinuation issues addressed in policy discourse dedicated to negotiating, drafting and implementing the phase-out measures. Results: A set of frames apparent in the discontinuation discourses in the EU and the Netherlands has been reconstructed, which entails the five governance dimensions 'policy instruments', 'implementation', 'strictness', 'monitoring', and 'policy level'. Technical details of both the socio-technical products to be banned and the replacing products have been the subject of meticulous negotiations in order to be able to implement the big picture, the lightbulb ban, appropriately and appropriately for both industry and environmental associations. The design of discontinuation governance at national and EU level are closely intertwined, but not identical in all aspects. The complexity of the governance task is therefore high. Conclusions: Discontinuation has to cope with some resistance to dedicated, forced change that takes place in a technically as well as socially highly complex context. Governing the phase-out of a technical device, a production infrastructure, and industry support policy once supposed to support the EU and Dutch ILB industry was a major techno-political challenge, where policymakers needed to grasp key technical and technological problems. These were related to ILBs as objects, to subjects such as engineers and scientists, lobbyists and disinterested experts, to civil society organisations and mass media, along with all sorts of political and administrative issues and discourses. The challenges are threefold: first, translating for each other what cannot be known from one's own background, second, shutting down governance which so far fostered lighting industry and, third, helping to change parts of this industry from an old, incumbent one to a new, emerging socio-technical regime with a regime providing a political and regulatory framework for it.

Australia was the first country in the world to officially ban old fashioned incandescent light bulbs as a solution to climate change but was it a good idea? In fact does anything we do in Australia really make any difference?

The common variety of incandescent light bulb has been in use for over a century, and although perhaps manufactured by highly technological systems, it is not a "high tech" device. Light bulbs are also found in nearly every home and business in this country. Because of these characteristics, the light bulb lends itself to use as a symbol of material things in modem industrial culture.

The development path of the lighting industry in mainland China was studied in this work. Lighting electricity accounts for about 12% of social electricity consumption in mainland China, while only approximately 15% of electricity is conversed into light when incandescent light bulbs are used. To reduce electrical energy consumption and mercury emission from coal burning in the lighting industry, China worked out a roadmap to replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent lamps (FLs). However, FL products utilize mercury to give out light and release mercury in their production, consumption and disposal processes. Therefore, the challenges of the lighting industry that mainland China are facing are controlling mercury pollution through the environmentally-friendly producing of fluorescent lamps, effective collecting and treating of spent fluorescent lamps. It was proposed that to effectively reduce energy consumption and mercury pollution, a good way to do this is developing energy-saving and mercury-free light emitting diode lighting industry. The mainland China Government&rsquo ; s strategies to develop lighting industry are worthy of consideration and emulation by other countries.

Since the Live Earth concerts and with the growing discussion on climate change, alert energy saving is really on the agenda now. Governments are putting in place energy regulations and urging industry to come up with innovative solutions. The best strategy for reducing CO2 emissions is quite simply to use less energy. This is why the incandescent lamp is going to be banned in Australia, and other countries seem to be about to follow suit. Incidentally, the first country to ban the incandescent lamp was Cuba. Two years ago, in an effort to reduce imports of expensive (fossil) fuels, Fidel Castro himself decided that in Cuba all incandescent lamps should be replaced by more efficient fluorescent lamps. Inefficient incandescent lamps need to be phased out and substituted with existing (or new) energy-efficient alternatives, including compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), energy-saving halogen lamps and LED lamps. The proposal to ban incandescent lamps, which is supported by Philips, has led to serious discussions, particularly because this is a political decision that is very visible to the public. It is a decision that will bring about direct change in people's own homes. The purpose of this article is not, however, to reopen the debate about banning the incandescent lamp, but rather to examine what consequences such a decision would have for lighting design and the quality of lighting in general. Is it possible to design lighting solutions without incandescent lamps that can offer a higher level of energy efficiency and the same or an even better lighting quality?

Andelman interviews university professor Hiroshi Amano about how the LED differs from traditional light bulbs and how he came to make this discovery. Amano tells how he got to manufacture LED light on a mass scale worldwide. Then, he explains the role he thinks science should play in making mankind better and his research on how to generate the electricity needed to power the LED. Adapted from the source document.

In February 2009, the European Commission decided to implement a planned phase out of inefficient (incandescent and conventional halogen) light bulbs (2009/125/CE and 2009/244/CE). Switzerland started its own policy measures a few months before those of the EU27-member body and later followed the EU's line from September 2010. This paper presents an analysis of the impact of this policy by analysing an energy efficiency program addressing low to medium income households. The analysis is founded on multiple surveys which took place from 2009 to 2014. An important component of this program is the replacement of inefficient incandescent and halogen lamps by efficient ones (CFLs and LEDs). Data concerning the replaced inefficient lamps has been gathered at every one of the campaigns carried out by the program. This allows for continuous information on the evolution of inefficient lighting equipment of dwellings for the last five years. While the agenda of market withdrawal was precisely established, the phase out of inefficient lamps operating in households has an inherent inertia that appears to be more important than expected. Indeed, there is a significant number of incandescent lamps still operating in households. In addition, the main substitute for the banned lamps has become the halogen lamp. Our paper appraises the discrepancy concerning the evolution of the stock of inefficient lamps between the projections that were made in 2008 for the 2009/244/CEE directive and the real situation in households of the city of Geneva-Switzerland. The first five stages of the regulation have already been implemented and it is likely that the outcome will influence the implementation of stage six.

The development path of the lighting industry in mainland China was studied in this work. Lighting electricity accounts for about 12% of social electricity consumption in mainland China, while only approximately 15% of electricity is conversed into light when incandescent light bulbs are used. To reduce electrical energy consumption and mercury emission from coal burning in the lighting industry, China worked out a roadmap to replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent lamps (FLs). However, FL products utilize mercury to give out light and release mercury in their production, consumption and disposal processes. Therefore, the challenges of the lighting industry that mainland China are facing are controlling mercury pollution through the environmentally-friendly producing of fluorescent lamps, effective collecting and treating of spent fluorescent lamps. It was proposed that to effectively reduce energy consumption and mercury pollution, a good way to do this is developing energy-saving and mercury-free light emitting diode lighting industry. The mainland China Government's strategies to develop lighting industry are worthy of consideration and emulation by other countries.