Posted on 12/20/2010 11:29:07 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Say goodbye to your 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. On Jan. 1, it’ll become increasingly challenging to find one on a store shelf in California.
That’s because the state has ordered a phaseout of the high energy-consuming light bulb.
The state is pressing to have the old incandescents replaced with newer, more efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescents, halogens and light-emitting diode light bulbs, or LEDs.
And beginning in 2012, 100-watt incandescents will be off the shelves completely.
As is typical, California is getting a jump-start on a trend that will begin nationwide in a few years. Three years ago, the federal government enacted legislation to phase out the old bulbs. National phaseout will begin in 2014. Other countries, such as Australia, Ireland and Cuba have already banned them.
There are drawbacks to the new bulbs, however.
Fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs, contain mercury, which can be harmful to the environment and to human health. Therefore, the bulbs must be handled differently than other household waste.
Local hazardous waste centers, and some hardware stores, will take spent fluorescent bulbs for recycling. The other bulbs contain chemicals such as bromine and iodine. These do not require special recycling.
Consumers looking to find a replacement for the old 100-watt bulb will likely choose the energy-efficient 72-watt bulb, which will provide an equal amount of light but uses less power.
"The consumer will still be able to use the product and have the same results to light an office, a desk lamp, a hallway. A 72-watt light bulb will still provide the same service as the old 100-watt bulb," Adam Gottlieb, a spokesman for the California Energy Commission, told the Scripps Howard news service. "Consumers really need to know they won't see any difference. The difference they'll see is a more energy-efficient bulb."
Stockin' up on incandescents and ammo with the family .. a time-honored tradition that is soon passing here in the Goldarn State.
they need to phase out money sucking Democrats.
We already gave up standard light bulbs to save money on the ever growing electric bills.
When were done with these new bulbs, we’ll just throw them in the streets like the illegals do with their pampers.
In Germany, they changed the name of these light bulbs to “small heat generators”. We need the same thing to happen here. Need ‘em to keep the chickens warm! You don’t want the chickens to freeze do ya?
California Energy Commission
http://www.energy.ca.gov/
They have a plan for you. Oh, do they have a plan.
The California Energy Commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. Created by the Legislature in 1974 and located in Sacramento, the Commission responsibilities include:
* Forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical energy data.
* Licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger.
* Promoting energy efficiency by setting the state’s appliance and building efficiency standards and working with local government to enforce those standards.
* Supporting public interest energy research that advances energy science and technology through research, development, and demonstration programs.
* Supporting renewable energy by providing market support to existing, new, and emerging renewable technologies; providing incentives for small wind and fuel cell electricity systems; and providing incentives for solar electricity systems in new home construction.
* Developing and implementing the state Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program to reduce the state’s petroleum dependency and help attain the state climate change policies.
* Administering more than $300 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding through the state energy program, the energy efficiency conservation and block grant program; the energy efficiency appliance rebate program and the energy assurance and emergency program.
* Planning for and directing state response to energy emergencies.
With energy challenges facing the state, the Commission and its dedicated staff of state employees stand ready to turn challenges into opportunities and help Californians continue to have energy choices that are affordable, reliable, diverse, safe, and environmentally acceptable.
My appologies to CA Freepers, but CA SUCKS!
Riiight. And people just sit back and believe what these guys shovel out, no questions asked.
Imagine when they turned off the supply to the gas lamps for the houses in my city...and you had to buy these new fangled INCANDESCENT LIGHTBULBS
How many cars have you driven lately that have rubber tubes in the tires??
Things change...Not a damn thing wrong with the curly bulbs and this kind of lighting was in every school, every factory, every supermarket....
So much for the Tonight Show and any other television show shot in Californika. No more light means no more Clipper or Laker home games.
Once again, the fools-Golden State has its priorities in order.
We have plenty of the 100-watters here in Virginia. Will ship at premium price! ;-)
I’m still trying to figure out how a light bulb containing mercury can be considered preferable to the standard bulb. Or, I’ll put it this way: I’m trying to figure out how this hoax made it successfully into the American mainstream.
In any case, isn’t electricty a renewable resource? We make it, we use it, we pay for it, and I don’t see how it harms the environment. Next step - turn out all the lights and we’ll all be in the dark...literally and metaphorically.
I can see where Amazon.com will do a big business in incandescent bulbs in California and the state won’t even get any sales tax. HA, HA!
“California Watch” should be renamed “California Death Watch.”
I have not, do not and will not allow CFLs on my property.
I have an adequate stock of incandescents to last my lifetime. I’ve even included a provision for the leftovers in my will :).
LEDs are interesting. At least they don’t contain toxic substances like mercury.
I’ve been stocking up on incandescents for a couple of years, ever since I heard about this. Flourescents are only more cost-effective if they’re left on for at least 15 minutes each time they’re turned on. Otherwise they wear out much faster than advertised. So explain to me how this will save electricity or money.
When I got my new windows on my house they gave me a whole case of these CF bulbs as a gift.
In less than 5 years the entire box is gone.
A similar case of incandescents I got 15 years ago is still half full.
Oh, brother. Where to start?
Did anyone MANDATE we stop using inner tubes in auto tire? Did anyone MANDATE we stop using gas lighting?
These hippie light bulbs are garbage. They are 5x as expensive, last half as long as they claim, and must warm up to obtain full stated lumins. And then you must call the hazmat team to dispose of them because you can't simply throw them away.
The "curly light bulbs" are a SCAM. And why is the federal government mandating what light buld I can and cannot use?
I’m going to stock up on light bulbs that last for 25,000 hours. If you use them for about seven hours a day on average they’ll last a little less than ten years.
You can get them here from this company that sells supplies primarily to the hospitality industry.
http://www.nathosp.com/product/25k19_c/standard_incandescent_light_bulbs
>you can’t simply throw them away.
LOL! Sez who? More have been tossed in fast food joints’ garbage bins or rest stop trash cans .....
I like the incandescents in the winter and the new ones in the summer. And for fixtures you leave on for a long time.
For a state with more pools per capita than anywhere else, I am waiting for them to try & replace those swimming pool lights with the curly bulbs......
Meanwhile, newly elected members of Congress claim they are going to pull back the ban on the bulbs we are used to using.
I live where having motion security setups which require bulbs that can stand the cold winter weather are a must. Those curly bulbs don’t meet those standards.
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