A New CFL

Since when did light bulbs become such a politically charged object? A couple weeks ago Michele Bachman, a Republican representative from Minnesota, introduced a bill that would roll back efficiency standards for light bulbs. The “government has no business telling an individual what kind of light bulb to buy,” she declared. Some Senate and House Republicans are similarly looking to repeal a 2007 law that phases out incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy efficient options.

An op-ed in last week's NYTimes defended government-mandated standards as a vital component of scientific and industrial innovation. Raising the bar of efficiency standards promotes healthy competition within an industry, thereby creating a cycle of improvement. Lest we forget, it wasn't until we established an agency to set higher technological standards in the early 1900s that a boom in product innovation followed in the next century.

It's fitting that the light bulb has once again come to not only symbolize but actualize invention and innovation in this century. No surprise that the winner of this year's Brit Insurance Product Award, which beat out the iPad, is a light bulb.

The Plumen 001 is a low energy bulb designed by Samuel Wilkinson that uses 80% less energy and lasts 8 times longer than a regular incandescent. The glass tubes have an irregular, organic form that creates a sense of harmony and offers a different silhouette from every angle.

Eureka! CFL GAMECHANGER.