The Australian government is banning old-fashioned lightbulbs. In four years, only energy-efficient lightbulbs will be available, AP reports.

Legislation to gradually restrict the sale of the old-style bulbs could reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tons by 2012 and cut household power bills by up to 66%, said Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Australia produced almost 565 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2004, official figures show.

A good start, putting Australia in the company of California, which is just considering a measure to ban the sale of incandescent lightbulbs. Conservatives oppose the measure because it takes away consumers' right to choose their lightbulb technology.

Environmentalists caution, though, that industry, not lightbulbs are the major cause of global warming - and Austrlia's John Howard is a steadfast opponent of the Kyoto Protocols.

"It is a good, positive step. But it is a very small step. It needs to be followed through with a lot of different measures," Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Josh Meadows told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.