U.S. may ban regular light bulbs (1 Viewer)

[Saint Mike]

Bill to Ban Regular Light Bulbs Introduced in House
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
March 21, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - A Democratic lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of traditional incandescent light bulbs - which are less energy-efficient, prompting claims that they contribute to "global warming" - one day after a colleague told a press conference that legislating a ban would be a "last choice."

As Cybercast News Service reported last week, Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) held a news conference Wednesday calling for more efficient lighting options, and Manzullo said "the last thing we want to do is force legislation down people's throats."

One day later, Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would set target dates for certain types of light bulbs to be prohibited for sale in the United States.

Harman calls the bill "an important first step toward making every household, business and public building in America more energy-efficient."

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200703/NAT20070321a.html

_______________________________

Whether or not the use of more efficient light bulbs is a good idea, if we've gotten to the point where the government can decide what kind of light bulb we can use I'm afraid there is no facet of our lives that will be free from government interference.

 

[antipop]

well at least they are working hard to solve that light bulb thing

 

[Taurus]

As long as the gay lightbulbs can't get married!

On topic, though. Market forces are killing incandescent bulbs anyway. $1.99 at my local grocery store for compact fluorescents. Two bucks and the things last 10,000 hours or more.

 

[DaveXA]

As long as the gay lightbulbs can't get married!

On topic, though. Market forces are killing incandescent bulbs anyway. $1.99 at my local grocery store for compact fluorescents. Two bucks and the things last 10,000 hours or more.

I gotcho gay bulb...

Indeed on the incandescent vs. flourescents. I haven't bought an incandescent bulb for a while. I have a stash of old incandescents in a box in the storage room for rare occasions. The only problem with the flourescents is the lack of three way or dimmer compatibility. I'm sure that will get figured out sooner or later. Flourescents are also a problem with flashing lights, which are needed for our doorbell. I am deaf, so the flasher helps and flourscents don't work with that. I bought a package of flourescent lights that look like floodlights for my kitchen. They are shaped like floodlights, but you can see the familiar twisted flourescent bulb inside the glass. Pretty cool.

 

[ok awesome]

I've had flourescents in my room for awhile.

 

[ra]

The dimming problem is the part that kills me. I've put them in a few rooms in my house already, I had 4 60W halogens (the max W the can will take) in my kitchen. Since the new 100 W bulbs only use 23W, I can use those in place of the 60W. That means, less electricity, more light, way more usage time.
It was a no brainer.

But that freakin dimmer thing is killing me. All my bedrooms have ceiling fan lights with dimmer switches. I may switch anyway. Those tiny 60W decorative incadescents last about as long as a housefly.

 

[Inkspot47]

On the downside, flourescent bulbs are made with Mercury and other heavy metals...be prepared for the mandatory disposal laws/taxes.

 

[Broadmoor74]

Bring back the Hurricane Lantern!!!! :rock:

 

[BullDawg]

I gotcho gay bulb...

Indeed on the incandescent vs. flourescents. I haven't bought an incandescent bulb for a while. I have a stash of old incandescents in a box in the storage room for rare occasions. The only problem with the flourescents is the lack of three way or dimmer compatibility. I'm sure that will get figured out sooner or later. Flourescents are also a problem with flashing lights, which are needed for our doorbell. I am deaf, so the flasher helps and flourscents don't work with that. I bought a package of flourescent lights that look like floodlights for my kitchen. They are shaped like floodlights, but you can see the familiar twisted flourescent bulb inside the glass. Pretty cool.

Look into the LED light bulbs. No light delay.

http://www.ccrane.com/lights/led-light-bulbs/index.aspx

 

[Broadmoor74]

Bill to Ban Regular Light Bulbs Introduced in House
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
March 21, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - A Democratic lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of traditional incandescent light bulbs - which are less energy-efficient, prompting claims that they contribute to "global warming" - one day after a colleague told a press conference that legislating a ban would be a "last choice."

....then after the session, the lawmakers drove off in their Yukons.

 

[DaveXA]

Ouch, LEDs aren't cheap. But they do look interesting.

 

[blotch1]

They're trying hard to make it look like they are doing something for the environment and energy conservation. They can take on the makers of lightbulbs because they aren't making billions of dollars off of them. I want to see them do something about the oil companies.

 

[BullDawg]

Here's my problem with the legislation...it's unnecessary. Some manufacturers have already set plans into motion to phase out incandescent lights over the next few years. More have stated their intents to do the same. So the legislation is meant to ban what manufacturers aren't even going to produce in a few years anyhow?

 

[DaveXA]

They're trying hard to make it look like they are doing something for the environment and energy conservation. They can take on the makers of lightbulbs because they aren't making billions of dollars off of them. I want to see them do something about the oil companies.

Actually GE is a huge company that has significant clout, so they'll get what they want and I think this legislation will have little real effect anyway.

 

[blotch1]

Actually GE is a huge company that has significant clout, so they'll get what they want and I think this legislation will have little real effect anyway.

But how much of GE's profit comes from incandescent lightbulbs? Not much.

And of course this legislation will have very little effect. But it will help them look better to those ignorant masses who don't understand that it means nothing.