I totally agree with you. Implementing this with WebGL would be much, much easier. However, I believe there is a need for lighting effects for simple interfaces

I totally agree with you. Implementing this with WebGL would be much, much easier. However, I believe there is a need for lighting effects for simple interfaces built with HTML and CSS. The library is more for intermediate developers who want to add a touch of lighting without heavy programming. Modeling 3D objects – like the Photon crane – with CSS is absurd! It was done solely for that initial "neato!" effect. Hope that helps clear some things up.