Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 09/10/2010 5:59:41 PM PDT by Kaslin
Eco-Extremism: A light bulb factory closes in Virginia as mandated fluorescents are made in China. It's now a crime to make or ship for sale 75-watt incandescent bulbs in the European Union. Welcome to green hell.
Thomas Alva Edison was a genius credited with the invention of many things — the phonograph, the motion picture, the incandescent light bulb, global warming. That last credit was given by those who rank light bulbs right up there with the internal combustion engine as ravagers of the planet.
The General Electric light bulb factory in Winchester, Va., closed this month, a victim, along with its 200 employees, of a 2007 energy conservation measure passed by Congress that set standards essentially banning ordinary incandescents by 2014.
Just as they are by fuel-economy standards, consumers are denied choice and the freedom to evaluate any possible benefits on their own by the nanny state. Washington's force and coercion are necessary because it seems the great unwashed can't seem to see the benefits or ignore the risks of compact fluorescents, or CFLs.
In Europe, light bulbs are already a controlled substance. The 100-watt bulb was banned last year and the 75-watt became illegal as of Sept. 1.
Not surprisingly, incandescent light bulbs there quickly became a hot item, flying off the shelves while they were still available. Der Spiegel reported that German customers leave hardware stores with carts piled high with enough incandescent bulbs to last 20 years. Garages and attics throughout the Old World are full of them.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
These people are going to take us back to the stone age.
Sometimes I see a display of CFLs at the store and I'm so tempted to knock them over and wait for the Hazmat team to show up.
Those eco-friendly death-inducing fragile, poisonous bulbs will never see the interior or exterior of my home. LED bulbs are a different animal and probably safer and even more eco-friendly.
It’s Tesla’s revenge.
LOL that thought's occurred to me too.
I have been stashing incandescents along side my ammo for a couple of years... I made a special trip to Lowes and purchased 96 more today after reading about the GE shutdown...
I should be good until the LEDs are up to speed. The CFL’s have not lived up to the hype, some with significant shorter lifespans than the incandescents; two of them blew out at the base.
Same here. I have a small stash. I’m planning on buying a few more boxes tomorrow.
*Sigh.* Just think of our grandmothers, who had to deal with sooty, smelly oil lamps and woodstoves, grime in their houses and the dangers of fire ... problems solved by rural electrification. (Not to mention the beauties of modern appliances that saved time and labor ... refrigeration, hot water, electric stoves ...)
I guess a few more women and children dying in house fires in fly-over country will be OK if we save the planet.
“I may double that amount before 2014 when they are outlawed due to Global Warming Crap!”
Don’t wait too long, as they’ll get expensive and scarce on their way out. I’ve got about 2000 now (lots of floodlights for recessed fixtures, and plenty of conventional bulbs). It’s way too many for my lifetime, but my kids should be in good shape when they divide them up (providing they don’t go bad with age).
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of “irreversible, functional blindness” in the young and shows up as severe blurring of the central vision. It used to be called “senile macular degeneration” because it mostly affected people in their 70s and 80s. However, scientists renamed it after it popped up in younger people. Unfortunately, this disease often is not apparent until decades after it starts injuring the eyes.
Fluorescent Light
The use of fluorescent lights in lamps did not begin until 1939, and the people now losing their sight to AMD are the first generation to grow up under fluorescent lights in school. Fluorescent lights are an ultraviolet (UV) light/blue light. Studies show that the blue end of the light spectrum may contribute to retinal damage and may cause AMD. UV light also destroys photoreceptors and debris then builds up in the retina. This debris forms deposits that accumulate in the epithelium. The rate of this accumulation may be related to the retina's exposure to UV light and all of this may eventually cause AMD.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6849818_fluorescent-lights-toddler-eyesight.html
fyi
Thanks. Yea, that’s my fear. We shall see...
In November 2008, the newly elected National Party overturned the light-bulb ban. This should make a light go on over the heads of GOP strategists seeking another issue against the nanny state. How about standing for light, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
Q. - Is the GOP smart enough to throw this into the elections mix?
A. - No.
Ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.