Prepare For Your Fluorescent Future Now! [UPDATED]
By Vladimir Posted in Central Planning | Dim Bulbs | Energy | Environment — Comments (67) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Among the less-ballyhooed provisions of the Energy Bill of 2007 (you know the one - the bill that mandates 35 mpg SUV's, while saving both the economy and the planet in one fell swoop) is a plan to outlaw the incandescent light bulb, Thomas Edison's brainchild and the internationally-recognized symbol (at least in cartoons) of a Good Idea.
Congress Bans Incandescent Bulbs
Well, if this is what it takes to Stop Global Warming and Bring Saudi Arabia To Its Knees, count me in.
Of course, General Electric is all about saving the planet. What the heck, Compact Fluorescents pay for their extra cost in only 500 hours, so if there's an extra shekel or two to be made making CFL's, why not get on board? After all, the additional profits CFLs generate will help the same GE clean up PCB contamination, to the tune of several $billions, from the bottom of the Hudson River.
The reader should know, however, that the Compact Fluorescent Bulbs require just a tad of special handling for disposal or breakage. Each bulb contains just a skosh of mercury, you see.
The responsible consumer will want to print and keep handy a copy of the following CFL handling instructions, brought to you by the EPA, the same folks that gave us MTBE's in our gasoline (and in our drinking water):
What should I do with a CFL when it burns out? EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options.
If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.
How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb? The following steps can be performed by the general public:
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. 2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.
[UPDATE]: The following was intended to be part of the OP:
3. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag. Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal. Note: some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
4. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet: First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.
Our Fluorescent Future means that all 300,000,000-plus of us will be disposing of gazillions of burnt/broken CFL's annually - of course, with re-education, we'll all be disposing of them responsibly.
And now that China has its eye on the U.S. market, we can look to those environmentally conscious central planners to replace lead-based painted toys with mercury-contaminated products as America's #1 import from the Far East.
I wonder if I'll be able to purchase incandescent light bulbs in Mexico and bring them across the border
If the whole nonsense with the infamous "Gore Toilets" is a guide, probably not.
In theory, you could go up to Canada and purchase a real toilet and bring it back into the US. But that's literally not legal. If you declare it, US Customs is supposed to confiscate it. If you don't declare it and get caught, you'll be arrested for attempting to smuggle contraband across the border.
I'm a proud owner (and user) of a real, old-fashioned, "grandfathered" toilet. The saving grace of those old beasts is that they basically last forever. You have to replace some of the moving parts occasionally, but that's pretty easy to do and there's no ban (yet) on aftermarket parts for real toilets.
Based on accounts I've heard and read, I don't think the toilet ban has been enforced against those driving one across the border. It would be interesting to know if anyone has had a toilet confiscated. Things may have changed in more recent years, but I doubt it would be confiscated.
I'm not sure if it would qualify as "contraband."
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in outhouses into a system that converts crap to heat their homes.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
With World Net Daily you never know.
http://www.metaefficient.com/news/us-to-phase-out-incandescent-light-bul...
There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life. - Frank Zappa
nuclear power plants again. Clean power that works but makes environmentalists quiver. Than we can use all the incandescents we please.
people into putting hazmat into their homes to protect them from his bogeyman?
Hopefully, the first 100 people to die from mercury exposure will be environmental wackos.
Romney Republican
I dropped and broke a CFL on some items over a carpet. After yelling quite a few obscenities over having broken such an expensive bulb before I even had a chance to use it, I tossed the big pieces in the trash and vacuumed the rest up, leaving the bag in the vacuum cleaner afterward.
Sheesh, how long before we have the first lawsuit filed for union workers who have to be around these at Lowe's Home Depot, WalMart, etc. and ditto for the comsumers of such businesses?
email address -- and hence your physical address. You can expect to find a HazMat team at your door within the hour, followed by a Justice Department lawyer with a warrant for your arrest.
[you have a right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you type can, and will be used against you. You have a right to an attorney. Might I suggest Mike DeVine. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you]
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Considering where the good doctor's head was, when practicing medicine, is it any wonder that the man has issues?
They last longer and the light they emit is fine (they used to be horrible). CFLs will be an interim solution anyway. Organic LEDs will soon be inexpensive enough for everyday home use (not just Christmas lights). They use much less energy than CFLs and last even longer.
About 6 years ago haven't had one burn out yet.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
CFC's don't seem to like enclosed light fixtures, especially outside. I don't know how we're supposed to get around this problem if incandescents get banned.
The GE bulbs I purchased are guaranteed for 5 years I think. I like flourescent bulbs. But of course the gov should stay out of it.
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Molon Labe!
Yes, they're advertised as lasting thousands of hours. I think they get too hot in their enclosed space (though some were in partially enclosed spaces)and the circuitry burns out. It's not worth my trying to take them back and argue with the returns department people. As a result, I've replaced those fixtures with incandescents, but that doesn't solve the problem down the line.
Will we need to update the "outlaws" slogan?
The light spectrum from CFL and LED is not correct. It's better than it used to be, but still doesn't compare to incandescent. I do use them in certain areas, but they don't work in bathrooms especially.
The biggest problem with CFL is the mercury contamination. It's going to be a problem because most people aren't going to take the effort to dispose of them properly.
in the tartar sauce. it tastes so dam* good, and then you realize, you would have been better off, nutritionally, eating the box it came in.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Oh good, more Weird Science from our environmentally-conscious politicians. This time we get two plastic bags — made of petroleum and taking 1,000 years to decompose — per light bulb. How many light bulbs? At least 500 million annually; probably more. So that's at least a billion planet-friendly plastic bags added to our landfills every year.
It's not quite as stupid as ethanol, but it's close.
The Law of Conservation of Dirt: Nothing can be cleaned without something else getting dirty. Remember that when GE "cleans up" all that PCB contamination.
Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you're dead.
There's a huge island of plastic bags floating in the Pacific ocean right now. It would be a good idea if industry could develop a biodegradable plastic bag or at least one that degrades with sunlight.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
There are already plastics that degrade in sunlight. It would be nice if merchants would use those bags. I'm generally not in favor of government mandates but sometimes you have to nudge the market and I would prefer that consumers demand more environmentally friendly products.
tell us.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
...have already attached to products that are perceived as "green."
Exhibit "A" is hybrid automobiles. It simply blows me away that people are willing to overpay for these things to get nothing more than a warm fuzzy feeling they're "doing something for the planet."
On the other hand, it shouldn't be a surprise. People are very well known for being willing to pay a lot for warm fuzzy feelings. The trick is to figure out what will give the feelings.
I'll bet that if someone made a proper pitch for "green" shopping bags, people would demand them.
You don't want to actually prove that there is an environmental benefit, because that's never 100% true. You do want to find some magic idea or phrase in relation to the bags that will light up in people's minds. And most certainly you should say "wouldn't you pay a few extra pennies to do your part while you shop?"
If it sounds like I'm underrating the intelligence of consumers, well, I plead guilty.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
because there are indeed already biodegradable plastic bags. Just not widely used, yet.
The gold from granite will take awhile longer.
energy bill!
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
Unfortunately, there won't be enough in Congress. I'd rather just have the Republican Presidential candidate refuse to enforce it.
Whatever happened to the "right to privacy" the left hails as "so fundamental" that it trumps the right of the state to protect human life?
Who will take the law to the courts to make such a claim? Don't we at least need a "health" exception for those who may need the regular bulbs to protect their health.
I've never been in the presence of one of these things before, and I'll plan to stock up on normal bulbs before the ban takes effect.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
I refuse to use fluorescent of any kind; it's ugly and makes me nauseous.
Halogen is good. Are they taking that away too? Man, again I say we need 100% turnover of Congress. They should all go for this endless nannystate nonsense.
You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.
The ballast can be a real pain though. And they aren't exactly "energy efficient". They're used primarily for lighting the exterior of office buildings.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
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Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
and linked Bush to that concern. (Naturally!)
http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/mt_archives/000082.php
Now, mercury in the living room? No problem!
The fascinating tropes of BDS on display again...
See how your representative and senators voted.
As a soon-to-be electrical engineer, I have to say that incandescent bulbs are totally inefficient and that no one should ever use them. They work basically on the same concept as your toaster, that is a thin metallic coil is heated up. But in the case of the light bulb and the material that it uses, the light comes out a whitish colour with a hint of yellow instead of the red that you see from your toaster. It's a horrible design, and there are so many more efficient manners to go about lighting your homes. A fluorescent bulb is much more efficient design, and I'll get to why the mercury is overblown drama in the next paragraph. As well as that, LED lighting is even more efficient and better than both incandescent and fluorescent lighting, with the primary focus today is to decrease the price of manufacturing as well as to increase the more "natural" feel of the light.
Ok, now onto this "mercury". The mercury in the fluorescent bulbs is in its elemental form, which explains all of the precautions prescribed by the EPA. If you did not know, elemental mercury is for the most part poisonous only when it is inhaled! If you swallow it, your body simply can't absorb the mercury, and it merely comes out the other end (Mercury in organic compounds, like fish, on the other hand is a different story). Now, onto the power generation. 50% of the power grid is currently supplied by coal-powered plants, and the number one problem with coal plants? Yep you guessed it, they release a lot of mercury into the air. After a duration of 5 years, the amount of mercury released into the atmosphere to power one incandescent bulb is about the same as to power a fluorescent bulb for 5 years and the mercury it contains combined. The case is worse for incandescent bulbs if you assume 100% generation from coal plants. With fluorescent bulbs, you can safely reduce the effects by simply disposing of them properly, while with incandescents you can't. In the end, if you worry about your health, then fluorescents and LEDs(once these become economically viable) are a much better way to go to light your homes.
Don't believe me? Well at least know that the silver fillings in your mouth are worse for you then cleaning up a few CFL's here and there. They contain a hundred more times mercury then a CFL bulb, and a good amount of the mercury gets changed to mercury vapour due to the temperature of your mouth. So, my question to you guys is, if you're willing to put up with it in the air around, as well as in your own mouth, why the hell are you complaining about it when it breaks on your rug?
Not only that, you'll save a pretty penny in the end when you do convert to CFL's.
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” - Ghandi
As I commented above, I've had problems with CFL's burning out rather quickly in a number of light fixtures indoors and outdoors in normal fixtures. Some of the bulbs have visible burn damage to the base. The incandescents last much longer.
Where my CFL's work, I'm quite happy with them, though it remains to be seen whether they will last as long as advertised. But where they don't work, I'm just tossing money down the toilet to keep trying with more CFL's.
If our wise leaders are going to ban incandescents, they'd better make sure that CFL's or some other technology is going to work.
While the government should encourage people to switch from less efficient to more efficient energy solutions, making it mandatory creates issues. How much will bureaucracy go up as a result? Perhaps border guards will get training in searching for illegal light bulbs. Will there be some department added that works on enforcement issues? Will we need to add a new entitlement since it won't be fair that poor people suddenly need to pay for more expensive bulbs? Shouldn't halogen bulbs get banned too? - Let's finance some studies on that. You could probably think of several others to add to the list.
I've put them in several rooms of my house, but not everywhere yet. It's the idea of DC deciding to cram it down my throat that irritates me. Oh and it did take a couple of tries to find ones that I could stand to have in the room where I do all my computer work, so it's not a simple switch in all cases.
And another expansion of the federal government.
Just so peoples choices could be limited.
Or is it just that the common folks can't make the decisions for themselves ?
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
It was certainly worth it to some:
The mind reels at the joke-like possibilities: How many Bush administration officials does it take to screw in a CFL? As many as it takes to screw American consumers! But the Bushies aren't the half of it. In creating the ban, Bush and his environmentalist allies were joined by Philips Lighting, which is--you should probably sit down--the world's foremost manufacturer of CFLs. The phased-in ban will position Philips to crowd from the market any troublesome competitors. It's a perfect confluence of interests: the Big Environmental Lobby, Big Business, and Big Government Conservatives.
From my cold dead hands...
tells you which Electrical Engineering reference materials you're allowed to use, right? I mean, if they can tell me which lightbulb I can and cannot use, why not tell you which books you can read?
Personally I'm against the ban of any product in general, it does add unnecessary bureaucracy. I never stated my opinion on the ban, and rather my disgust of incandescents. I would rather there be a market push, and not a governmental push, to get rid of incandescents. That will only work when consumers have all of the information necessary. As to whether they are going to be smuggling in incandescents through the border with a ban, that's just plain ridiculous. The ban will be on the same level as banning lead paint.
And to the person who keeps on saying that they don't last as long as incandescents. The problem that you are seeing with that is most likely you are using your CFL in a high humidity area. In this case, try not to use these types of bulbs, and use incandescents in that areas. If you are experiencing high rate of loss of CFL's in other areas, switch the brand you are purchasing and check the humidity of the area the CFL is operating in. Most likely you will want to keep the humidity in your house at a moderate level for comfort as well as to prevent mold and bacteria for growing and any damage to your floors. This is one overlooked case from Congress.
The thing about this ban is that CFL's are the only consumer "green" choice today. That is a HUGE problem in my mind. At the same time, I think LED lighting will come a long way in 4-6 years. Once the LED lights come along, you won't be complaining about lifetime issues, nor will you be complaining about CFL's anymore
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” - Ghandi
The subject title earlier was supposed to "I'm against the incandescents and the ban" and not against fluorescents... sorry about that.
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” - Ghandi
"The problem that you are seeing with that is most likely you are using your CFL in a high humidity area. In this case, try not to use these types of bulbs, and use incandescents in that areas."
I live in Louisiana. Humidity is unavoidable.
And what about decorative lighting? I'm having a problem seeing Las Vegas lit up with CFLs.
Congress should use tax credits, not mandates, if they want to encourage behaviors or consumer choices.
There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life. - Frank Zappa
"I live in Louisiana. Humidity is unavoidable."
Use weatherproof CFL's then inside and outside your home. I forgot that these were in the market.... They might be a little more expensive though.
"And what about decorative lighting? I'm having a problem seeing Las Vegas lit up with CFLs."
Neon lights, I believe, are efficient enough to continue operation under this incandescent ban.
"Congress should use tax credits, not mandates, if they want to encourage behaviors or consumer choices."
I completely agree with that.
Yes CFL's do indeed get hot, just like incandescents. Their electronics can be susceptible in extreme temperatures, which is why there can be a failure of CFL's at a very high ambient temperature.
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” - Ghandi
Congress should use tax credits, not mandates, if they want to encourage behaviors or consumer choices.
I have to disagree with this. If members of Congress want to encourage behaviors or choices, they should write their opinions down and try to persuade, just like the rest of us.
"tells you which Electrical Engineering reference materials you're allowed to use, right? I mean, if they can tell me which lightbulb I can and cannot use, why not tell you which books you can read?"
Your slippery slope is soo steep that logic is afraid to even contemplate climbing or descending it.
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” - Ghandi
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/ge/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view...
The new high efficiency incandescent (HEI™) lamp, which incorporates innovative new materials being developed in partnership by GE’s Lighting division, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and GE’s Global Research Center, headquartered in Niskayuna, NY, would replace traditional 40- to 100-Watt household incandescent light bulbs, the most popular lamp type used by consumers today. The new technology could be expanded to all other incandescent types as well. The target for these bulbs at initial production is to be nearly twice as efficient, at 30 lumens-per-Watt, as current incandescent bulbs. Ultimately the high efficiency lamp (HEI) technology is expected to be about four times as efficient as current incandescent bulbs and comparable to CFL bulbs. Adoption of new technology could lead to greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 40 million tons of CO2 in the U.S. and up to 50 million tons in the EU if the entire installed base of traditional incandescent bulbs was replaced with HEI lamps.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life. - Frank Zappa
Don't forget the to market time of 2010 for those HEI's. I truly want to see a technical paper on these, and so far I haven't found one. If you do find one, please post it here.
Also, the bill passed only deals with the lower efficient incandescents.
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” - Ghandi
These are going to be quite useful.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
will finally come to an end. I wonder if I'll be able to purchase incandescent light bulbs in Mexico and bring them across the border (along with my tequila and vanilla extract, of course).
This is what happens when congress gets distracted from naming post offices and extorting the NFL.
Thompson / Romney
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