Sometimes government enacts legislation that relies upon technological advances that have not yet been achieved, thereby forcefully demanding that these advances become a reality for the common good.
The latest example of this approach is embedded in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 passed by Congress and signed by President Bush on Dec. 19. One portion of this bill requires that all light bulbs use 25 percent to 30 percent less energy by 2014 – a worthy goal. The expectation is that compact fluorescent light bulbs and light emitting diode bulbs will replace the traditional but inefficient incandescent bulb, which wastes 90 percent of its input energy as heat rather than in the form of emitted light.
But the technical challenges in meeting this expectation while retaining the people’s good will are significant, leading to much debate in the public square over this legislation.
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