A Stitch in Haste

...this is a light bulb ban:

The Australian government on Tuesday announced plans to phase out incandescent light bulbs and replace them with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs across the country.
...
Under the Australian plan, bulbs that do not comply with energy efficiency targets would be gradually banned from sale. Exemptions may apply for special needs such as medical lighting and oven lights.
...
Environmentalists welcomed the light bulb plan, but noted than the vast bulk of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions come from industry, such as coal-fired power stations.

The Politics of the Warm Fuzzy Feeling know no hemispheric boundaries. The politicians Down Under "did something." The fact that it's something utterly meaningless (except to the extent that it infringes individual rights) is irrelevant to them.

All the points I made when an activist California legislator announced his central planner wannabe bill still apply, as do some excellent additions made in the comments (e.g., that compact fluorescent bulbs may not be economically efficient, or safe, in homes with small children).

(Incidentally, who gets to decide which needs are "special"? Special to whom? In what context?)