[CitizenUSA]

“Either you think a more prosperous world is a good thing — that prosperity and ingenuity can solve most of our pressing problems — or you don’t.”

[rarestia]

Good stuff. I’ve heard about these EPA assaults on dealers. I recently had a rep from Kohler in my home to help me re-vamp all of my bathroom and kitchen gadgetry, and he mentioned that Kohler was up against a wall with some of their products. Three of them in particular were exactly the same as those I chose to upgrade my shower, and there’s apparently an extensive lead time on the components since they’re so popular right now. He told me, however, to select another set from their “Green” catalog, and I adamantly refused.

His response, “It’s all going green. You might be forced to change these $XXX faucets through future legislation.”

I asked him to leave and called Kohler to complain.

[NEMDF]

Interesting. Thanks for posting. What are they going to do about the huge bathroom whirlpool/spa tubs people have? Surely those use much more water and energy than a nice shower head with decent water pressure. When we stay at hotels that have those low-pressure showerheads, I have no doubt that it takes me three times as long to rinse my hair. I doubt they are saving any water.

[MrB]

The funny part is that the left tries to think of themselves as on the side of freedom...

[I cannot think of a name]

The funniest part of this - the “experts” would lead you to believe that fluorescent lights ALWAYS save energy -

horse manure!

Put one in a room that gets turned on and off eight or nine times a day - like a bathroom in a typical family home - and there will be a net loss in energy efficiency.

Fluorescents work great in rooms that will have the lights on most of the day (family rooms for an example). But they are not a be all, end all, savings.

[battousai]

...replaced by those awful Dairy Queen–looking things, the compact-fluorescent bulbs that bathe the world in a gauzy, dirty, yellow haze. It’s sick-room lighting, state-mental-hospital illumination — the kind of lights they used in East Germany to keep everyone sad and downcast.

While I agree with the point of his article, that we should not be forced to buy something, he is being over dramatic in describing CFLs, yes some are dingy and yellow, but you need to pick ones with the correct colour temperature, we have voulnatarily replaced all the lights at home with CFLs not for any 'green' reasons, but because we prefer the light. However that is because we picked the one that provided light in the 6500K colour temperature range (often labled 'daylight' bulbs) the light is brighter and whiter than with incandescents. So it really comes down to the type of CFL you get and not the actual CFL technology.

Of course the added benefits of less heat output and less electricity usage are a bonus, especially in my computer room that has 3 computers and associated hardware running at any one time :)

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

H. L. Mencken said he'd trade the Parthenon for an American bathroom.

He meant it as a dig at American's who were in thrall to European Kultur (as he put it).

[MarineBrat]

I don’t know where this guy found his “yellow” bulbs, but my wife just put in a bunch of crappy white ones that I absolutely hate. They’re white and sterile. It’s like being in an operating room!

[Gorzaloon]

Two comments:

1) It is easy to drill or bore out the flow restrictor on shower heads.

2) Don't worry about the CFL's. You will not have to endure them for 5,000 hours, or whatever they claim! Each one contains five millgrams of mercury, and won't be made here! They are all made in China, where they dump the manufacturing waste into the river. Due to "Quality Fade" as cheaper and cheaper components are switched into the product, in a few batches, the products will fail in fewer hours than an incandescent bulb.

Then of course, you have to call the EPA, the DEQE, and the Marines to come and remove the "hazardous material". There is probably a "Special Tax" hiding in this, as well.

Be patient. LEDs are on the way.

Or burn tires for light.

[rockrr]

If I worked it right I should have just enough bulbs ferreted away to last me. If I didn’t time it right I’ll probably be so old I won’t be able to notice the difference anyway...;-)

[GreenHornet]

In the Battle of the Bathroom, the environmental bureaucrats have the optimistic hedonists on the run. They’ve taken our bulbs and our rain-showers, so it’s just a matter of time before they focus their regulatory powers on my toilet, with its delightfully surprising — but water-wasteful — nozzles and jets. This, perhaps, is where we need to take our (seated) stand. This is the line they must not cross. When they come to me with their regulations and federal guidelines, I will take a page from the National Rifle Association and say, “From my cold, dead . . .”

Where's Al Bundy when we need him?