Posted on 12/16/2011 2:37:46 PM PST by Still Thinking
The omnibus spending bill passed Thursday includes a provision that temporarily lifts the incandescent light bulb ban. Republicans managed to insert language into the 1,200 page bill that prevents funds from being used to implement the first phase of the ban, which was scheduled to commence on January 1st. The incandescent light bulb will be given a stay of execution through at least September 30, 2012.
For those who didn’t know…in 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act into law. Subtitle B of Title III mandated an approximate 30% increase in energy efficiency for lightbulbs. Beginning in 2012 with the 100 W bulb and continuing through 2014, this legislation would have forcibly removed incandescents from the marketplace.
Incandescent light bulb given a stay of executionOpponents of the bill dubbed it an “incandescent ban” and rightfully so. While the Energy Independence Act of 2007 doesn’t specifically refer to a ban, the riders set forth energy efficiency standards that incandescent bulbs couldn’t possibly attain (not most of them, anyway).
The Senate’s own summary was unequivocally clear on the bill’s intent:
“The first part of the new energy efficiency standard would increase energy efficiency standards of light bulbs by 30 percent and effectively phase out most common types of incandescent light bulbs by 2012-2014.”
I support advanced illumination technologies – especially solid state lighting, which (no pun intended) will light the future. But I don’t believe in the forced obsolescence of older technologies. Let consumers decide.
To reiterate, the provision to the spending bill doesn’t repeal the incandescent ban entirely nor does it sever the relevant portion of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.
The “Better Use of Light Bulbs Act” (defeated in the House) would have completely overturned the ban. But it was not to be.
Instead, the new clause prevents money from being put towards implementation of the incandescent ban. And this stay of execution is only good through September 30.
hallelujah!!! Let’s make this permanent!!
Finally - the light bulb went on in somebody's head.
Why is it temporary?
More uncertainty.
Yes! INSANITY that this is even debated since HOW come we would allow mercury filled bulbs to destroy our landfills and waterways and make our own homes hazardous waste site. It is just a Marxist ploy to destroy private property and transfer industry to China.
They say it saves “energy”—NOT WHEN YOU ADD THE COSTS TO CLEAN UP THE TOXIC MERCURY!!!!!
Market should decide.
However, being in HOT S FL, I have put CFL in some lamps (most likely not to get knocked over) to try to reduce the heat load. The a/c cranks hard enough already. So things have their purpose. Don’t even notice the difference in light.
Well, there goes my plan to sell 100 Watt heat balls.
Of course, the market should decide but our government never really allows that anymore. (Trumps ‘fair trade” comments with China come to mind.) There is a reason our manufacturing base left here....and it wasn’t “free trade” as defined. Governments got involved and the fact is—safety of products is an abomination. Look at all the billions of dollars lost in construction because of the toxic dry wall we shipped in from China. Why we even “trade” with them is a joke—as our infants drink their melamine milk and dogs die and kidneys collapse.....and God only knows, what other toxins.
My brother has all CFL bulbs and his house is lit up as well as a cave with candles. It is annoying and ugly light and is super ugly for 10 minutes while they “warm” up. He said they don’t last that long because they aren’t designed to be shut off and on all the time which kills life of that bulb.
I do art and with those bulbs-—I can’t.
Warning.. I bought a pack of ge lightbulbs for the livingroom.. The bulb lasted less than three weeks. I hope I just got a bad box. I won’t be picking up that brand again.
Generous Electric sucks. I know a guy who worked for them and now won’t buy anything they make including light bulbs.
We bought a pack of energy-efficient LED light bulbs, supposedly equivalent to 60 watts each. I was leery of getting them, wife said try them out. Stuck five in our bedroom ceiling fixture, and it was like dim candle-light! We could hardly see each other, let alone read anything. Returned them to Costco for a full refund. We put in five regular 40-watt incandescents and they were like twenty times brighter! LED bulbs are not ready for prime time. (We absolutely refuse to have CFL bulbs after a couple exploded on us.)
The mini-flourescents have been around for years now. the first 24 pack I bought said that they were suppose to last 5 years. Within a few months half of them burned out. Within a year they were all leaching mercury into the local landfill. Of course they often don’t work well when it is cold out. If it is humid they sometimes don’t work at all. My wife has cataracts; they give her a headache and she can’t see very well with them.
If they really were better consumers would buy them without a government mandate. Let the market decide.
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