Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Call For Light Bulb Sanity
Real Clear Markets ^ | 06/02/2011 | Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Posted on 06/02/2011 4:41:59 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

WASHINGTON--America doesn't usually have shortages. Consumers as a rule can find what they want to buy at stores or online. But in 212, days, on January 1, 2012, Americans won't be able to buy 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, the kind Thomas Edison invented and the only kind many of us know-and prefer.

That's because incandescent light bulbs are being phased out by wattage over a two-year period, starting January 2012. The 100-watt bulb will be the first to be outlawed, by act of Congress, followed by 75-watt bulbs in January 2013, and 60- and 40-watt bulbs in January 2014.

So consumers who want to stock up have seven months to buy 100-watt bulbs, 19 months to buy 75-watt bulbs, and 31 months to buy 60- and 40-watt bulbs.

The legislation outlawing the 130-year old light bulb was introduced in 2007 by then-Representative Jane Harman, a California Democrat who resigned in February, and Representative Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican. The bill was rolled into the Energy Independence and Security Act, signed by President George W. Bush in December 2007.

The reason for ending the use of incandescent bulbs is to save energy. They burn more electricity than do several newer types of bulbs.

Mr. Upton is now chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While lobbying among Republicans for the position, he promised to try to repeal the section of the 2007 energy bill that prohibits incandescent bulbs.

"We have heard the grass roots loud and clear, and will have a hearing early next Congress," he said last December. "The last thing we wanted to do was infringe upon personal liberties - and this has been a good lesson that Congress does not always know best."

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearmarkets.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cfl; incandescent; lightbulb
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last

1 posted on 06/02/2011 4:42:00 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“... and this has been a good lesson that Congress does not always know best.”

Well, Duh!


2 posted on 06/02/2011 4:44:21 AM PDT by roaddog727 (It's the Constitution, Stupid!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

LED bulbs will be great once the price drops. CFL bulbs are just idiocy.


3 posted on 06/02/2011 4:45:41 AM PDT by rbg81
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Freakin Morons


4 posted on 06/02/2011 4:47:15 AM PDT by ballplayer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
I post this anytime I see something on the lightbulb farce...

This is the unaltered graphic from Livermore Labs....

And this is my analysis of the government issued data on energy savings by using CFL bulbs overlaid on it...

5 posted on 06/02/2011 4:48:48 AM PDT by rlmorel (Capitalism is the Goose that lays The Golden Egg.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Congress made money from this law.

There is no other reason.

It is like CAP AND TRADE.

Secret deals among the elite in US Congress.


6 posted on 06/02/2011 4:49:01 AM PDT by Diogenesis ( Vi veri veniversum vivus vici)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rbg81

RE: CFL bulbs are just idiocy.

The big question is, if this is so, why are they being foisted upon Americans, BY LAW?

Truly when Congress ( especially a Democratic Congress ) is in session, I just get nervous and begin thinking to myself -— wht kookie idea will they think of next and what lifestyle of mine will be made illegal next?


7 posted on 06/02/2011 4:49:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: roaddog727

And as always known the replacement bulbs can’t be put into the trash because they contain mercury. Theye is also a large increase of health problems in countries that produce them. Bottom line is safe energy and kill people or not.


8 posted on 06/02/2011 4:49:56 AM PDT by nnn0jeh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
When will Americans and the States wake up and repeal the Commerce Clause?
9 posted on 06/02/2011 4:51:14 AM PDT by Federalist Society
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Personal pet peeve; this is bullsh1t.

This, and the fact that the dishwasher detergent is now crap-by-government-mandate.

Bullsh1t.


10 posted on 06/02/2011 4:54:24 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I agree, light bulb should not be mandated by law. Same deal with toilets. CFLs actually turn your house into a toxic waste site if broken.


11 posted on 06/02/2011 4:54:58 AM PDT by rbg81
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Congress and the central socialist government: keep you damned noses out of what small speck remains of US manufacturing and out of our lives!

You have been so busy redesigning our cars and toilets you have failed to do what many have elected you to do: decimate the DC monster.

One fact I’ve discovered is that when you bloviating idiots are in session the stock market slides. It does much better when you crawl back into your DC area digs.


12 posted on 06/02/2011 4:56:36 AM PDT by IbJensen (Welfare: putting a cake under the sink expecting that it wont attract cockroaches.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hammer

I assume you’ve seen the discussions here about adding about 1/4 tsp of real TSP per dishwasher load?


13 posted on 06/02/2011 4:57:48 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Black market light bulbs - who would have ever thought?


14 posted on 06/02/2011 4:59:02 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
( especially a Democratic Congress )

It was RINO Bush who signed this crap into law in the first place.

15 posted on 06/02/2011 5:02:41 AM PDT by from occupied ga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: rbg81
CFLs actually turn your house into a toxic waste site if broken.

CFL's in the hands of multiple flash mob's...I don't want to even think about it...Cloward and Piven might though.

16 posted on 06/02/2011 5:03:00 AM PDT by stayathomemom (Beware of kittens modifying your posts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012

just gotta do what a company over in germany did after incandescents were banned in the eu.. rebrand them as 100watt incandescent heat sources.
seems pretty reasonable, as the big complaint from the greenies is that 90%+ of the energy used is emitted as heat.


17 posted on 06/02/2011 5:08:51 AM PDT by absolootezer0 (2x divorced tattooed pierced harley hatin meghan mccain luvin' REAL beer drinkin' smoker ..what?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

My local (pro-socialist) paper just ran a lengthy article explaining that congress didn’t actually set out to outlaw incandescants - they just defined energy standards (for our own benefit of course).

And it just happens that the lowly incandescant doesn’t meet those standards.

Who knew?

Representative Fred Upton: “The last thing we wanted to do was infringe upon personal liberties”

That’s why he introduced a bill that does that very thing. And that is why Congress has been eroding personal liberty year in and year out since the days of Woodrow wilson.


18 posted on 06/02/2011 5:09:05 AM PDT by Iron Munro (The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. -- John Steinbeck)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
Virtually ALL of the savings possible in the national grid with fluorescent lights were attained decades back.

By the time Congress got around to worrying about lightbulbs MOST residential use was in fluorescent lights as well.

The error in your thinking is that residential usage consists of mostly lighting. Actually it's heating, cooling and cooking. Lighting usage is negligible!

19 posted on 06/02/2011 5:09:19 AM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
Virtually ALL of the savings possible in the national grid with fluorescent lights were attained decades back.

By the time Congress got around to worrying about lightbulbs MOST residential use was in fluorescent lights as well.

The error in your thinking is that residential usage consists of mostly lighting. Actually it's heating, cooling and cooking. Lighting usage is negligible!

20 posted on 06/02/2011 5:10:34 AM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson