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PunditFact checks claim on incandescent light bulbs

PunditFact checks a claim that the incandescent light bulb 'has no effect whatever on the planet.'
A vintage-style incandescent light bulb (C) is shown with an LED light bulb (L) and a compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulb. Iincandescent bulbs, which have been in use for more than 100 years, are being replaced by the more energy efficient CFL and LED light bulbs.

St. Petersburg, Florida -- A recent photo of Michelle Obama with a message to bring back the Nigerian school girls, got retweeted on Twitter more than 37,000 times. But reaction wasn't as positive from conservatives.

10 News anchor Allison Kropff teams up with PunditFact to check an odd comparison.

On Fox News Sunday, political commentator George Will joined conservatives by dismissing that tweet by First Lady Michelle Obama, some calling it a "meaningless gesture." Will then strangely compared it to an incandescent light bulb.

Here's what he said:

"Power is the ability to achieve intended effects, and this is not intended to have any effect on the real world. It's a little bit like what environmentalism has become. The incandescent light bulb becomes the enemy. It has no effect whatever on the planet, but it makes people feel good about themselves."

PunditFact looked into whether incandescent light bulbs have "no effect whatever on the planet." Fact-checkers talked with the associate director for research at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

"They say this is a demonstrably untrue claim. They said it's very easy, the signs are very clear that these incandescent bulbs use four times the amount of energy that these LED -- new type of alternative light bulbs -- use," says Aaron Sharockman with PunditFact.

Sharockman says they did find an argument by a group of scientists in Canada who said the switch may not always have a positive effect.

"They said all it does is, depending on where you are and what type of energy you use and what type of light bulb you use, it might make your situation a little bit different."

Because fact-checkers found incandescent bulbs do have an effect on the planet, PunditFact rates Will's claim, FALSE.

As always, PunditFact reached out to Will but did not hear back from him.

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