Energy conservation to help climate change

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A CNN news item two days ago featured an Illinois based company that has developed an LED lamp that uses 4 watts of power to produce 40 watt equivalent light. Cost now is $10.00 per lamp. On face of it people might say it is too costly. Is it"? The oil is at 95 dollar per barrel in November 2007 and there is no end in sight for high it will go. Before we see 2008 it could easily cross $100.00. per barrel.

LED lights offers a real solution to substantially reducing our lighting demand. These lights should be financed with low interest tax free bonds so that municipalities can distribute them to all residents at a small cost spread over 10 years. I am sure very few people will buy 20 bulbs at a cost of $200.00 up front. What if the Town or Village bought in bulk, 20 bulbs for each home and distributed it to the tax payers. The Town could add $20.00 per year to the tax bill for 10 year term. This revenue will repay the Town's investment at zero interest rate. Replacing the old light bulbs with LED lamps will save the tax payers in energy costs. They can replace the mostly used bulbs with new LED lamps which will last over 10 years saving energy. Over 10 years, the savings would be significantly over 200. If every sustainable community adopted this approach a big dent in our energy demand can be made today. As the price of LED lamp goes down with higher demand for the lamps, then more people will do it on their own.
What we need is Leaders with long term vision.
Ram