Individual scope

There is a quote from John Muir at the entrance to this piece of forest: 'The quickest way into "the universe" is through a forest wilderness.'
The other day a politician on TV was bewailing the federal government's mandating of energy-efficient light globes: the American people can choose light globes for themselves. Is 'individuality' really so puny that it must be defended against even so small an attempt to do something for the community?