Conservatives Shy Away from Light Bulbs With Eco-Friendly Labels

Live sScience ^ | 4/30/13 | Megan Gannon

[Libloather]

Conservatives may be less likely to buy energy efficient light bulbs if they're packaged as environmentally friendly, new research suggests.

In one study, participants were given $2 to spend on a light bulb with a choice between a 50-cent incandescent bulb and a $1.50 compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb. They were told the CFL bulb would last 9,000 more hours and reduce energy costs by 75 percent compared with the old-fashioned bulb.

Both liberal and conservative participants were more likely to choose the CFL bulb, the researchers found. But if the CFL bulb was marked with a sticker that said "Protect The Environment," those who identified as politically moderate or conservative shied away.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

That’s no surprise. 90 percent of your home’s energy budget is the HVAC system, not the lights.

[Still Thinking]

"But not everyone values protecting the environment. We were interested in whether promoting the environment could in fact deter some individuals from purchasing energy efficient options that they would have otherwise selected."

I don't necessarily agree with their analysis. I think there's probably a couple factors at work here. First, it's not that people are hostile to the environment per se, but they're sick of being told it's the ultimate good and nothing else is of any consequence. And second, they don't believe that all the agenda-driven crap that gets pushed ostensibly to help the environment, does in fact help the environment at all. (IOW, when you're trying to analyze when people's reaction to things are different from your own, maybe try NOT starting with the assumption that all your beliefs are correct, are accepted by those others, and that thus the only reason for disagreement is that they are ignorant or that they fail to share your values.)

[Still Thinking]

I dropped Waste Management as my garbage picker upper when they started promoting how "green" they were and I discovered that I was paying for their "greenness" to the tune of $78 quarterly. I switched to a non green company at $50 per quarter and let W-M know why.

My electric utility will let you pay extra to get more "green" electricity. I called them one time and gave them an earful because only leftist fools are allowed the choice of voting with their wallets. If someone like me knows it's all foolishness, how come I can't direct that NONE of my power comes from those sources (presumably at a discount, since you have to pay extra to get more). And, as an engineer, how come I can't choose to buy from only engineering-intensive sources like nuclear?

[Still Thinking]

Has any Freeper looked into this? I’m wondering if the upfront cost of the CFL outweighs the energy savings. Is it cheaper to buy more incandescents, replace them more often, and pay more in electric?

Plus there's another factor. Assume the higher cost in lamps exactly equals the savings in power: You'd be better off because you don't have money tied up in bulbs that can get broken, get left behind when you move etc. Better to pay as you go.

[Still Thinking]

I never buy any junk marketed as “a portion of these proceeds go to ....”

Me either. Pisses me off. It means you're selling the item for more than you have to. In effect helping yourself to some of my charitable giving dollars and sending them to YOUR favorite charity. Who the hell do you think you are? Just cause I'm buying a light bulb/hamburger/whatever you think that in some way entitles you to decide where my charitable giving is going to go? And ever notice they causes are disproportionately to solely causes liberals would like?

[Still Thinking]

As a side note, what happened to the water savings I was supposed to experience when the government told me I had to put a low volume toilet in my bathroom?

Or the other thing that happens is they force some savings scheme on you, it actually works, then whoever's selling the commodity raises the cost per unit because they're not selling as many units any more.

[beef]

I wonder it would have come out had they put “Praise Jesus” on the CFL?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Was at Walmart this week. The shelves are EMPTY of ammo and regular light bulbs.

So, the only logical conclusion is that Big Sis wants us unarmed and in the dark...

B@stards.

[KeyLargo]

What You Should Know About the 2014 Light Bulb Ban

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2428279,00.asp

[MrB]

I put a CFL in a ceiling fan and everyone in the room almost had a seizure...
The “blink” was maddening. The light “cycles” at 60 hz and the fan at whatever RPM it was gave a light beat frequency that had everyone saying “make it stop!”

[MrB]

You nailed it.
“Conservatism” is inherently Christian based for a variety of reasons,
and we know that this whole “enviro” garbage is nothing but a bunch of God-hating leftists seeking their own righteousness in “caring for the erf”.

[Peter W. Kessler]

That’s three (and, I suspect, many more) of us.

I bought multiple cases of 40, 60, 100, and three-way bulbs over a year ago.

I suspect they’ll last ‘til LED bulbs are affordable.