Former President George Bush signed, in 2007, the federal Energy Independence and Security Act that set new energy efficiency standards, reducing our dependence on foreign oil. One provision was phasing out the traditional incandescent light bulb, invented in the early 1800s.The goals of the act were to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years and included new fuel economy standards. In 2007, the U.S. was facing record gas prices at $3.10 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Many of the electrical generating plants in this country are coal fired or use natural gas.Phasing out incandescent bulbs is a good thing.The incandescent bulbs routinely last only a few months and have a disturbing tendency for the cap to break off in the socket.