Posted on 02/20/2007 11:09:17 AM PST by cogitator
The Australia Government will use industry and product standards to force a phase out of incandescent light bulbs in prefence of new low watt compact fluorescent lights that can cut the typical lighting load of a house by 75% - even with all the house lights on at the same time. The step was announced by the Australian federal Environment minister Malcolm Turnbull MP who claims Australia's greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 4 million tonnes through to 2012.
The reduction in emissions will increase as the phase out progresses and the annual average reduction between 2008-2012 is estimated at around 800,000 tonnes. However, by 2015 the annual cut in emissions will have soared to an estimated 4 million tonnes per annum.
"The most effective and immediate way we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by using energy more efficiently," Mr Turnbull said. "Electric lighting is a vital part of our lives; globally it generates emissions equal to 70 per cent of those from all the world's passenger vehicles.
"But it is still very inefficient. We have been using incandescent light bulbs for 125 years and up to 90 per cent of the energy each light bulb uses is wasted, mainly as heat."
"A normal light bulb is too hot to hold - that heat is wasted and globally represents millions of tonnes of CO2 that needn't have been emitted into the atmosphere if we had used more efficient forms of lighting."
"These more efficient lights, such as the compact fluorescent light bulb, use around 20 per cent of the electricity to produce the same amount of light."
"A compact fluorescent light bulb can last between 4 and 10 times longer than the average incandescent light bulb, which can lead to major savings in household energy costs."
"While they may be more expensive to buy up front, they can pay for themselves in lower power bills within a year."
In Australia, lighting currently represents around 12 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from households, and around 25 per cent of emissions from the commercial sector.
Working with its state and territory counterparts, the Australian Government will gradually phase out all inefficient light bulbs and is aiming for full enforcement of new lighting standards legislation by 2009 to 2010. Special needs areas, such as medical lighting and oven lights, will be taken into consideration.
The Government will also work with the world's largest manufacturers of light bulbs, including China, to broaden the benefits beyond Australia.
"The International Energy Agency has estimated that if all countries made the global switch to compact fluorescent lights that by 2030, annually it would save energy equivalent to more than 5 years of Australia's current electricity consumption," Mr Turnbull said.
"The climate change challenge is a global one. I encourage other countries to follow Australia's lead and make the switch to more energy efficient products like compact fluorescent light bulbs."
Level-headed response to global warming and energy policy ping
...as Australians experience the freedom to do what their government tells them to do.
I'm sure you use compact fluorescents in all your personal and business applications?
Another atrocity for you to combat!
Really, how do regular lights survive anymore? When you can get 15w lights that are as bright as 75w traditional bulbs, who isn't switching? Somewhere there should be a graph showing declining sales of traditional lights, and the slope should be steep enough that gov't regulation is just overkill. If gov't alone would make the switch, that would probably be 50% of incandesent sales in the US alone. In places with higher energy costs, It should be a no-brainer.
Engaging in a mammoth session of national self-flagellation will neither serve as proof that global warming is anthropogenic, nor that it can be at all influenced by man, nor will it measurably slow climate change.
This is a wholly unnecessary move that will change the face of an entire industry, and make interior lighting more industrial, clinical, and austere.
Fluorescent lighting simply does not approach the warmth of the venerable incandescent bulb.
In other words, we don't need a government mandate to do so, as we will end up switching sooner or later anyhow due to high energy costs (driven in part by envirowhacko opposition to EVERYTHING).
That 75% number is probably based on the all lights on scenario. With all the lights off, the fluorescent light and the incandescent light all use the same amount of electricity.
1) People who don't know there's something better.
2) High initial purchase price.
3) Some people just prefer incandescents.
4) CFLs just aren't good for all purposes. Try putting one in an oven or fridge. Try keeping your reptile warm with a 15W CFL.
Taking advantage of an incentive program by my local electric co-op, I just installed 48 compact fluorescent bulbs in my home. They give off a soft, warm, light similar to an incandescent. They are also instant on and at 27 watts give more light than a 75 watt incandescent.
More:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1788011/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787770/posts
Perhaps we can just outlaw the use of lights from 8PM to 7AM....
It's good to use the compact fluorescent bulbs, but it's not good for any government to coerce people to use them.
They are not suitable for all applications. They don't fit in some appliances.
Good idea, but the government should butt out.
And you get a 75% reduction in illumination. I put the things up in my utility room and other, unfinished spaces. By the time they brighten enough to see by, I'm done in the room. Bought some for the kitchen. One burned out as soon as it was on, the other two came on, but didn't give the lighting of a 40W incandescent. ANd they won't work on my dimmer circuits. So because of the poor lighting quality and brightness, plus the fact that they can't be used in my lighting, they aren't going to be installed. THey don't look or work well in chandaliers, either.
Business is exclusively flourescent (standard bar lights, not CFB). I've switched the house to about 50% CF; we have several on dimmers, which I can't switch, but we don't use them much.
I sure hope so.
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