I recently wrote this for an American magazine

Light Bulbs and the Madness of Energy Efficiency Regulations

http://www.ecnmag.com/article-light-bulbs-energy-regulation-091109.aspx

Also, my recent extensive EU ban criticism on
the Commissioners blogs,
that now come out to defend the EU ban:

Piebalgs post
(he says “choice will increse now”)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/piebalgs/lighting-the-way-to-the-future/

Wallstroms post
( she says “noone makes any convincing case against the ban”)
http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/wallstrom/music-afghanistan-and-light-bulbs/

Unfortunately, as with Sunday Times, most media criticism is about the CFLs – justifiable of course, but
giving a cop-out justifying a ban in terms of LEDs

The ban is of course wrong not just on choice grounds,
but on the very energy and emission basis behind it.
As we have pointed out on our sites, there may be some marginal eventual energy savings once all factors are considered, but the need to save energy (as paid for by consumers) can be questioned -
there is no shortage, plenty of renewable development will take place, if there was a shortage the energy price rise would give increased demand for efficient products
anyway – and the difference to global warming that a whiff or two of CO2 makes is questionable, CO2 that light bulbs themselves don’t give out in the first place.

I can’t believe the worldwide idiocy going on here.
I wish there was a politician that had something in his/her head that could be likened to a brain.