Australia to ban old-style light bulbs

Associated Press ^ | 02/20/07 | ROHAN SULLIVAN

[presidio9]

Those fluorescent bulbs don't work in refrigerators, stoves or brooding and heat lamps.

I guess the Aussies can say goodbye to easybake ovens...

[ctdonath2]

I keep trying to use compact flourescent bulbs in the house.
They keep sucking, so I keep going back to standard incandescents.
CFB's (or whatever the proper acronymn is) just don't have the right color, brightness, stability or warmth as incandescents - no matter what marketing keeps saying.

[Yo-Yo]

How about the millions of appliances that require incandescent light bulbs to operate?

From the fine article:

"Under the Australian plan, bulbs that do not comply with energy efficiency targets would be gradually banned from sale. Exemptions may apply for special needs such as medical lighting and oven lights. "

Let's see how they deal with the increased mercury in their landfills in 20 years.

[Calpernia]

California and NJ have this same goofy bulb idea on the table.

[Condor51]

*****you will have to buy twice as many bulbs or stronger ones to get the same amount of light.******

No, no offense, but not true.

Fluorescent lamps (bulbs) emit considerably more Lumens (light) per watt than incandescent (tungsten) bulbs.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Using more energy efficient products isn't a bad thing--whether global warming does or doesn't exist.

Australia should make more nuclear reactors--their country has the largest uranium reserves in the world.

[DBrow]

http://www.nema.org/lamprecycle/epafactsheet-cfl.pdf

An interesting analysis- CFLs contain 4mg of Hg each, but may reduce Hg emissions to the environment overall by reducing the amount of coal burned.

I'll need a lot more data before I can comment on the truth of that, but it sounds intersting.

[sine_nomine]

Electrical lights burn up a lot of money. I only buy compact flourescents now. They do a great job for 1/4 the energy burn. CFLs are pretty cheap now, too.

Motion detector switches help too. I use those outdoors, due to crime and our border security (thanks Bush).

We had a sound activated switch for the garage door once. When we approached the house and activated the garage door, the light went on. Then it went off later. Kids loved opening the door to the garage and shouting, turning on the light. We donated that switch to our niece and nephew.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Australia has a very low population density. In part, that is because they live on the driest continent, and one that isn't particularly nutrient rich for plants (and therefore for livestock eating those plants).

[Jaysun]

Think of the electricity that could be saved if we'd just go back to burning whale fat. Environmentalism is the opposite of progress.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

At least the driest, generally inhabited continent--Antarctica could be drier, but few people stay there, and it's debatable whether people actually live there.

[xcamel]

see:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1787770/posts

[DBrow]

"Think of the electricity that could be saved if we'd just go back to burning whale fat."

Or from liposuction....

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

The whale fat from all the whales in the world would probably not meet global energy needs for lighting, along with needlessly causing the extinction of an animal.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Rats, already posted so many comments here.

[presidio9]

Are you the FR hall monitor today?

[xcamel]

No one would have to be if people would do something as simple as:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;s=bulbs

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

presidio9's article is AP; the other one is Reuters. Plus the other one is about ten hours old, and already has plenty of comments.