Congress overturns incandescent light bulb ban

The Washington Times ^ | December 16, 2011 | Stephen Dinan

[markomalley]

Congressional negotiators struck a deal Thursday that overturns the new rules that were to have banned sales of traditional incandescent light bulbs beginning next year.

That agreement is tucked inside the massive 1,200-page spending bill that funds the government through the rest of this fiscal year, and which both houses of Congress will vote on Friday. Mr. Obama is expected to sign the bill, which heads off a looming government shutdown.

Congressional Republicans dropped almost all of the policy restrictions they tried to attach to the bill, but won inclusion of the light bulb provision, which prevents the Obama administration from carrying through a 2007 law that would have set energy efficiency standards that effectively made the traditional light bulb obsolete.

The bill doesn’t actually amend the 2007 law, but does prohibit the administration from spending any money to carry out the light bulb standards — which amounts to at least a temporary reprieve.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Maybe this is a good thing — you can now effectively sell them legally, and it’s not like GE is going to re-open their plants or Lowes is suddenly going to find a new stock of light bulbs to sell.

[BobP]

Click to watch or download Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda do Republican vs Democrat!

[TribalPrincess2U]

I’m with you.

[SouthTexas]

A simple energy savings technique we should use on Congress:

OFF!

[US_MilitaryRules]

Yes, but dumbass Bush signed it.

[ErnBatavia]

What about the enviro-whacko toilets you have to flush five times?

Fortunately, almost any plumber can do an over-ride and restore "Big Gulp" status....

[Terry Mross]

I know of at least one GE plant that has already shut down. So, now I guess Mexico can make them and export them to us. Makes sense to America haters.

[Yardstick]

*sigh of relief*

[afraidfortherepublic]

A 1st Class stamp is 44 cents now, as are all current “forever” stamps. But they are going up again in February. So, every time I go to the P.O., I buy a couple hundred more stamps.

I have to hurry up and use up last year’s Christmas stamps (the angel with the lute), because they were NOT “forever”. My husband was hospsitalized last Christmas, and I never got the cards out.

[Eye of Unk]

I would still buy the rough service 60, 75 and 100 watt bulbs anyway. If people had to use emergency generators these lamps are more reliable than the supposed 5 year CFL ones.

[Arrowhead1952]

We have a shelf in the garage and outdoor storage shed that have nothing BUT incandescent light bulbs. Everything from 40 - 100 watt, plus the small base night light bulbs.

[steelyourfaith]

A random act of sanity.

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[ponygirl]

What $2 CFL? Try $6. For one.

When I stocked up, I made sure I avoided GE bulbs. They burn out after 2 months on my patio anyway. I went with Philips or the Target brand. I'd rather buy from China or Amsterdam before GE.

[hedgetrimmer]

I converted to the squiggly bulbs long ago. They do save an electricity, but mainly I like not having to run to the store to replace them.

But you have to run to the store to dispose of them at county and state funded hazardous material disposal sites, which is an unmentioned very expensive additional cost of this product that taxpayers are forced to fund. Its a trickle down tax on everybody.

If you're not disposing of them at these sites you're polluting our ground water with mercury. And if one breaks on your carpet, you are supposed to bring in a hazmat team to remove it and dispose of it for you.

Which one is it?

[yoe]

"That agreement is tucked inside the massive 1,200-page spending bill..."

It would have been better if those who originally proposed the ban were tarred and feathered and driven out of town....in stead, threatening their votes the EPA brow beat limp backed congressmen to enact this stupid Mercury laced curly light bulb bill, now expensively being dismantled....why didn't these bright lawmen stand up and refuse as one voice to do something so stupid. At least and at last someone is doing something and for that I am grateful.

[ponygirl]

Have you seen these pics of the foot necrosis that the internet claims were caused by stepping on a broken CFL bulb? Don't click on it if you're queasy... http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=71917

Interesting to note that this is posted to the Snopes message board, but when I searched for the Snopes article, I couldn't find it. Anyone know if these pics are legit?

[Morgana]

“So, 200 lightbulbs are saved”

Not really. Because of this mess the company who made these light bulbs closed it’s doors forever this year. Never mind that it had been in operation since the time of Edison.

[FateAmenableToChange]

but they give off great, natural-looking light,

Really? I like LED's in my high-power flashlights, but I've never seen one with light I'd like to read by. OTOH, I haven't gone shopping in a long time. It'd be really cool if LEDs could give me light with some decent warmth to it.

[Democrat_media]

Thank you Republicans for saving some of our freedom:

Republicans dropped almost all of the policy restrictions they tried to attach to the bill, but won inclusion of the light bulb provision, which prevents the Obama administration from carrying through a 2007 law that would have set energy efficiency standards that effectively made the traditional light bulb obsolete

[Safrguns]

I will NOT use those mercury filled pieces of crap!

I will burn candles first.

Where there is a demand, there will be a supply.