Whenever I think of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), I see a curvy, 20th-century light bulb in my mind's eye. A calm, loving woman's voice sings melodically, "we bring good things to life!" Imagine, then, a world in which the iconic GE light bulb -- the pear-shaped incandescent one -- is no longer a big seller. What would we put over little cartoon heads as shorthand for a brilliant realization? What would become the universal symbol for "idea?" And, more importantly, what would GE do?

On Friday, GE announced it was closing seven plants and warehouses that currently make and store incandescent bulbs, "reducing [GE's] footprint." Other bulbs, like the CFL (compact fluorescent lamp), are gaining ground on the 128-year-old icon of electric light as consumers seek to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. That GE is using the environmentally-friendly "footprint" terminology to describe what is a decision brought on by shrinking demand is both shrewd and damning. The layoff of 4,400 employees (GE has already laid off 3,000, and plans to reduce its force by 1,400 more) is slyly positioned as being a plus for the planet.

As CFLs and other efficient devices save energy, they also require changing far less frequently; meaning sales must be reduced for GE and the other market participants (Philips Electronics and Siemens are the number two and three in the light bulb market). This can't be good news for the industrial giant, although GE has spent considerable time and money investing in more environmentally-friendly lines of business from emissions control and testing for other industrial clients to (you guessed it) fluorescent bulbs.