Reverend James Jones, the bishop of Liverpool, is spreading the word through his non-profit, tearfund, and says, “The world can change a lot in 40 days…we invite you to join a 40-day carbon fast as a wake up call to consumption.”

First on the list: “remove one light bulb.”

Testament to just how powerful a small step can be, the US Congress and President took a similar sort of action, backed by some legalese, last December. You may have heard that the energy bill they signed included a measure requiring that all light bulbs consume 25 to 30 percent less energy by 2012 to 2014. The first to go will be 100-watt bulbs, and by 2020 all bulbs must be 70 percent more efficient.

As a sort of trial run for what this legislation could mean, consider the potential impact of the ‘carbon fast.’  Figure someone removes a 100W incandescent light bulb that he normally keeps on for one hour a day. Over the course of Lent he would save 4 kWh of power.

If everyone who attended The Church of England’s Easter Sunday services (about 1.5 million worldwide in 2006) removed a similar light bulb, together they would save 6,000 MW. An average American household uses about 10.8 MW in a year.

Then imagine if they removed two light bulbs. Or simply replaced them with compact florescent bulbs.

Ah the potential! It’s enough to make you (OK, me) want to sing that Patti Smith hymn, “People Have the Power.”