Go on: tell 'em how long that bulb has been burning now.
Posted on 02/09/2007 1:02:19 PM PST by Cagey
EDISON, N.J. -- No disrespect to Thomas Edison, but a New Jersey lawmaker said a lot has changed since Edison invented the light bulb.
Assemblyman Larry Chatzidakis has introduced a bill that calls for the state to switch to energy-saving fluorescent lighting in government buildings over the next three years.
Last month, a California assemblyman announced plans for legislation to ban incandescent bulbs there.
New Jersey is where Edison acquired more than 400 patents for innovations such as the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph and the electric railroad car.
But efficiency is trumping nostalgia.
New Jersey already recommends a switch to compact fluorescent lamps as part of its Clean Energy Program.
The curator of a museum that celebrates Edison in the town that bears his name said the light bulb is an easy target, but even he acknowledged that its star is fading.
Jack Stanley said "that's part of the evolution of all inventions."
I make it a point to not drive very much, and I stay off the roads as much as possible. I have a CDL and a lot of road experience.
Driving while on the cell phone is a genuine problem.
Most people are not very good at driving in the first place, and a cell phone turns such folks into an outright menace.
I'm sure Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad will come up with something.
Go on: tell 'em how long that bulb has been burning now.
I was wondering when somebody would bring that up.
Women especially complain about trying to apply makeup under fluorescent lighting.
In my city the building code requires fluorescent lighting be the "primary" lighting in bathrooms and kitchens. You can't get a permit to remodel otherwise. Obviously no women on the board that made that decision.
I like the new bulbs too; however, only the minis, equivalent to 60 watts, can fit in my overhead fixtures. The non-minis, equivalent to 75W and 100W, are too big for my lamps and fixtures.
Not to ruin a really good rant against overbearing government, but the bill:
"...calls for the state to switch to fluorescent lighting in GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS over the next three years."
Presumably one of the things the government **should** be doing is ensuring it is spending the taxpayers' money in an efficient and responsible manner, yes?
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1170972632137660.xml&storylist=jersey
The good news is that fluorescent bulbs for home use now have far better colour properties than the old tubes. Some are a pretty good match for incandescents, while others are pretty close to daylight. My daylight bulbs are a blessing on dark February mornings :-)
You are correct, however, that as long as you're paying for the electricity then the type of bulb you use is none of the government's business.
Yeah, I am aware that the notion of leaving the light on to save power is a myth. I do know that the older (1970s-era) fluorescent lamps did have a shorter bulb life if they were cycled frequently but I suspect that the product has improved in that respect. I think the main aspect that makes them unsuitable for refrigerators is the startup time, though.
My gripe with LED bulbs is actually pretty easy to fix. Most LED Christmas lights run on unrectified AC so they are essentially strobe lights, but they can be stabilized for a few pennies by throwing capacitors in the mix, either in a DC power supply or even building it into the bulb itself.
You can get three-way and dimmable CFs. The dimmables are pretty useless though.
As for light bulbs, they will probably be handed out as part of some energy assistance program. You and I will be paying for them. :-(
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
That's close to what happened here in Ontario, more than once. I remember in the early 1990s Ontario Hydro paid out rebates of $5/bulb. Naturally the retail price of the bulbs increase, on average, by about $5.
/psychotic rant
I point out, again, that the bill in this story only applies to lights **IN** Government Buildings.
No one can legitimately gripe about that, can they?
But maybe you're still all worked up over the California bill which IS intrusive gobbledygook?
You forgot one thing, NY and NJ will place a BIG tax on these to collect revenue just like NY does with cigarettes.
106 years.
Fascism on the rise, lot of people want to help save us from ourselves...
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