Like most people, Amy Cimetta never paid attention to her lightulbs.

Then one day she received an email citing statistics that showed each squiggly, fluorescent bulb uses 75% less energy than a regular incandescent one -- saving some 500 pounds of greenhouse gas from being released into the air.

Now Amy's switching all her lightbulbs, and she's not alone.

Lawmakers in New Jersey, Texas and California are racing to ban regular bulbs altogether. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine's bill would outlaw sales of them in California by 2012.

Even big business is joining the movement. Home Depot recently gave away 100,000 compact fluorescent bulbs, and Walmart launced an ambitious campaign to sell 100 million of the energy-saving bulbs by the end of this year.

The downside? They look industrial, give off a harsher light and can cost ten times more than a regular bulb. But advocates say it's worth it for the electricity bill savings -- and for the environment.

NBC is owned by General Electric, a major producer of light bulbs.