Light Bulb Ban

[MazdaSpeeder]

Okay, so I've been hearing rumors regarding this for weeks and hoping that it was the stuff of an urban legend, but apparently it's not. Congress passed and the President signed a bill recently that would phase out incandescent bulbs for home use starting around 2012. I really can't believe this, nor can I believe the lack of coverage by the media. Fluorescent bulbs are much more expensive and while they last longer, they have mercury content that requires more careful cleanup and some states make it illegal to throw them in the regular trash, classifying them as hazardous waste. They also take time to warm up, have harsher light, and are not compatible with faders or 3way switches. There's an article here from a congresswoman attempting to reverse this measure of the recent energy bill. I realize the site it comes from is somewhat biased, but I thought I would throw it out there for discussion. Feel free to post more links to news articles, but I couldn't find any on CNN or MSNBC.

I for one think it's ridiculous that the government will now force me to only buy a certain kind of light bulb. If they really want people to buy fluorescents, incentivize them with tax refunds or something like that, and let Americans make their choice. No wonder Congress has an 18% approval rating...what a waste of our taxes!

 

[StealthWyvern]

I didn't knwo the bulbs had mercury in them... Every bulb in my house are flourescent blubs and my light bill went down drasticly and not to mention that i haven't had to change a bulb in the past 5 years! Prior to that i was changing 2 or 3 bulbs out every other month specifically the porche light.

Edit: I used to have 5 people who lived in my house who didn't know how to turn off the lights! lol

 

[Killer]

I blame the CFR.

 

[altspace]

Ugh, the light hue of constant fluorescent bulbs in a house is depressing. Personally I use GE Reveal bulbs in all my light fixtures.

 

[StealthWyvern]

Ugh, the light hue of constant fluorescent bulbs in a house is depressing. Personally I use GE Reveal bulbs in all my light fixtures.

Eh I'm only home at night maybe 1 or 2 days out of the week so its not that big of a deal to me

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

I blame the CFR.

It never gets old...(rofl)

You know, I'm not as concerned about the mercury and incompatibility (though I think they level out the supposed benefits of the bulb)- my major concern is that the difference this changover will make will be negligible, and even if it wasn't, this is America...I don't think legislating light bulbs is what the framers had in mind for a more perfect union...

 

[Witchdoktor]

we need bigger government and higher taxes. government can run my life better than me.

 

[genericuser]

they make dimmer switch and 3 way compatible CFLs. I'm using several in my house at the moment.

 

[bazooka joe]

you can get dimmers for fluorescent lamps, just more expensive of course! for color, fluorescent is awful! wonder what the meat dept. at the local market is gonna use????

 

[RacerXGirl]

Ugh, the light hue of constant fluorescent bulbs in a house is depressing. Personally I use GE Reveal bulbs in all my light fixtures.

+1

I love those Reveal bulbs - they make the house look so warm/cozy.

 

[EvilJen]

+1

I love those Reveal bulbs - they make the house look so warm/cozy.

+2

I don't want to have to use those ugly fluorescent bulbs... Your skin has that sallow hue. Blech!

 

[BlackCherry06]

I use CF's in every light in my house that doesn't have a dimmer on it. I guess I'd better stockpiling incandescents for use in my dimmed lights. I GOTTA have a dimmer in my bathroom and den.

 

[jred321]

psh 2012. that's so far away. people only care about what's effecting them now. in 2011 maybe the media will start covering it

 

[BaD_HeX]

There is always LED bulbs. I was at a friend's house the other day talking about this. They make a 150 LED bulb that draws 9w and outputs equivalent to a 70w bulb. It's $80(us), but, using it 8 hours every day, will last ~30 years. That cost will come down in the future, so this will be a pretty nice option.

 

[MiaTurbo]

You should write to your congressman. While you're at it tell them it is stupid to have to use a catalitic converter on your car. Shouldn't we have a right as Americans to choose whether we want one or not on our cars that we paid good money for? And add in there that we should also have a right to use lead based paint if we wanted to.

 

[Witchdoktor]

and add in legalizing weed while you're at it. if you can use it and become president it can't be all that bad.

 

[genericuser]

thinkgeek.com actually has some darn decent prices on LED bulbs.

 

[girth]

There is always LED bulbs. I was at a friend's house the other day talking about this. They make a 150 LED bulb that draws 9w and outputs equivalent to a 70w bulb. It's $80(us), but, using it 8 hours every day, will last ~30 years. That cost will come down in the future, so this will be a pretty nice option.

BLAHAHAHAHA, LED bulbs are absolutely TERRIBLE right now regardless of price. Go out and read reviews on them -- their rated light output is nothing even close to what actually comes out, they don't diffuse light well at all, and they leave everything with a blue tint. I got a free 100 LED bulb from the company I work for....it's rated at something like 60 or 65 watts and it pretty much can't light SH:T. I wondered if it was just the bulb I got or what so I went to Amazon to read some reviews of others and every review said they were all pathetic.

Long term maybe they'll amount to something but it looks to be a long way off....especially when CFL has matured pretty well.

 

[Red5_02]

Eh, is what it is. Can't change s***. Congress made up their minds, live with it. Every time you pay taxes you pay the bills of the person you b**** about. There are better things to complain about than effing light bulbs. Christ.

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

Look, I'm not fourthmeal or anything, and I agree that in the end it's only a light bulb, but we live in a democracy founded on capitalism, and this is nothing like that. The role of government as the framers intended was to do its job and stay out of the way. I have no problem with the government protecting the nation, passing the laws needed to keep order, etc, but to begin to force people to only buy certain products is socialist. In a free market economy, the consumer has the choice, and anything less than that is un-American.

Sure it's 2012, and it's only a light bulb...the reason it's 2012 is clearly expressed in one of the above posts...people won't care now, and once it comes into play, it will be too late to change anything. As for it being just a light bulb, I both agree and disagree...on the one hand, it's a somewhat inconsequential household good, however, it's something that everyone uses, and it's something that will affect every single American, both as an inconvenience and an expense issue.

Bottom line, the government forcing a product off the market is fundamentally antithetical to what America is about, and sure it's only a lightbulb...but what comes next?