This is a new compact fluorescent lightbulb from GE. It's the next generation of lightbulbs. This little guy puts out the equivalent of a 100 watt lightbulb for only 26 watts! Which means it can last 10 times longer (5+ years) than an ordinary incandescent bulb. That's an energy savings of $59 for every new lightbulb you install. And the best part is you can get 'em at the local drugstore or Wal-Mart for less than five bucks... easily paying for itself in a few months!

Sitting humbly on shelves in stores everywhere is a product, priced less than $3, that will change the world... For years, compact fluorescent bulbs have promised dramatic energy savings - yet they remain a mere curiosity. That's about to change... Think how many games Wal-Mart has changed. There's no reason they can't change this game... A lightbulb is no big deal - until you multiply by 100 million.

This month's Fast Company explains how Wal-Mart and GE are about the make the compact fluorescent lightbulb sell like crazy. Just how much can 100 million energy-efficient lightbulbs make a difference? That's enough to power a city of 1.5 million people... or taking 1.3 million cars off the road. Yowza!

Update: This photo will be featured at the Sierra Club's Smart Energy Solutions booth at the Green Festival in Washington, DC (October 14-15). (thanks chris!)

Update #2: NYTimes article on the energy challenge: WalMart tackles America's love affair with cheap, familiar-looking incandescent bulbs, a habit 130 years in the making.