watts¹ can no longer be produced or imported in the EU." width="450" border="0" src="/upimg/090912/4_030134_1.jpg" />
An employee shows a traditional light bulb (R) and two low-energy consumption bulbs at the Osram factory in Molsheim, eastern France December 11, 2008. From Tuesday the light bulbs above 75 watts can no longer be produced or imported in the EU.

Germans, who sometimes see themselves as guardians² of the environment, are hoarding³ energy-guzzling incandescent⁴ light bulbs ahead of a looming⁵ European Union-wide ban, the GfK market research agency said.

The Nuremberg-based GfK reported sales of incandescent bulbs had soared about 35 percent in the first half of the year ahead of a ban that starts Tuesday -- even though it was proposed by German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel in 2007.

Some German retailers⁶ said they have seen sales of 100-watt incandescent bulbs soar 600 percent since the end of July.

The EU is planning to phase out use of the incandescent bulbs as part of its push to save energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions⁷ and fight climate change. From Tuesday the light bulbs above 75 watts can no longer be produced or imported in the EU.

The ban will be expanded each year and by 2012 production and importing of all incandescent bulbs will be prohibited.

The EU Commission projects the ban on the energy-inefficient bulbs will save about 40 terawatt hours of energy in the EU per year -- enough to meet the energy demands of a small country.

The idea to ban incandescent bulbs came from Gabriel in 2007 when Germany held the EU's rotating presidency⁸. The German said the switch to energy saving bulbs could save about 25 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

据捷孚凯市场咨询公司日前介绍，在欧盟即将禁用白炽灯泡之际，时不时标榜自己为环保卫士的德国人却在囤积这种高能耗的灯泡。

总部位于纽伦堡的捷孚凯公司报告称，在欧盟实施这项禁令之前，德国白炽灯泡的销量今年上半年大增约35%——尽管这一议案是1997年由德国环境部长西格马尔•加布里尔提出的。该禁令已于本周二生效。

德国一些零售商表示，自七月底以来，100瓦白炽灯泡的销量猛增六倍。

欧盟正计划逐步禁止白炽灯泡的使用，这是其节能减排、应对气候变化的措施之一。从本周二起，欧盟将禁止75瓦以上灯泡的生产或进口。

该计划将逐年推进。到2012年，所有白炽灯泡的生产和进口将被禁止。

据欧盟委员会预计，禁用高能耗的白炽灯泡每年将为欧盟节省约40太瓦时的电能，这足以满足一个小国的用电需求。

禁用白炽灯泡的建议是加布里尔于2007年、德国担任欧盟轮值主席国其间提出的。这位德国人称，改用节能灯泡每年可减少约2500万吨二氧化碳的排放。

Vocabulary:

hoard：to accumulate for preservation, future use（囤积，储藏）

loom: t o seem imminent; impend（逼近）

phase out：to bring or come to an end gradually; ease out of service（逐步淘汰，逐渐停止）