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Light-bulb liars: What's lit up isn't a great idea
The Washington Times ^ | July 11, 2009 | Terence P. Jeffrey

Posted on 07/11/2009 4:24:31 AM PDT by Scanian

What if in 2025 a husband and wife decide they want to use old-fashioned incandescent bulbs in the sanctuary of their home? Will the light-bulb left defend their right to privacy and freedom of choice?

Don't count on it. Many Americans may not know it yet, but the federal government has already effectively banned the type of light bulb most of us use today.

In 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act, mandating that household light bulbs use incrementally less electricity starting in 2012 and culminating in 2020, when they must use less than 70 percent of the electricity conventional incandescent bulbs use today.

Compact fluorescent bulbs already meet this standard. The congressional authors of the law understood they were, in essence, phasing out incandescent bulbs.

They did this, they said, to help save the planet from overheating. But the light-bulb left did not weigh -- or care about -- the unintended consequences of their crusade. One such consequence could be an environment disaster in your family room.

You see, fluorescent bulbs contain mercury -- a bad, bad pollutant and health hazard that the Environmental Protection Agency has been sounding alarms about for years.

This put the EPA in a tough spot. On the one hand, it needed to applaud the politically correct use of fluorescent bulbs to save the planet. On the other hand, it needed to warn people that if they break a fluorescent bulb in their home it could poison the dog, the kid and the wall-to-wall rug. So, the EPA published blatantly self-contradictory instructions about what to do if mercury spills at your house.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
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To: MarkL

If they can gather that much mercury in one place, how about shipping it back to China to use in more CFLs?


41 posted on 07/11/2009 5:16:56 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Think of the D Party as what it really is: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
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To: Desdemona

Autistic children don’t do well with fluorescent light bulbs either. Well, the ones I have worked with haven’t. They make a noise that the children didn’t like, and the fact that it wasn’t really bright bothered a few of them. We had them in the lunch room and it was hard for them.


42 posted on 07/11/2009 5:17:37 AM PDT by EmilyGeiger
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To: Scanian
They did this, they said, to help save the planet from overheating. But the light-bulb left did not weigh -- or care about -- the unintended consequences of their crusade

First of all, none of the authors of this tyrannical measure believe the planet is overheating - that is just an obvious lie to fool the ignorant.

Second, the "consequences" of their "crusade" are not unintended, they are the purpose and the goal of the whole scam.

43 posted on 07/11/2009 5:18:50 AM PDT by Jim Noble
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To: Sacajaweau

I think the market would make a better regulator in this case.


44 posted on 07/11/2009 5:20:23 AM PDT by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: SECURE AMERICA
Is the Government going to send inspectors around to search peoples homes?

Without a restoration of the republic? You betcha.

45 posted on 07/11/2009 5:20:46 AM PDT by Jim Noble
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To: Desdemona
If it's fluorescent lights that are causing it, why should I be forced to use them?

Because a central government with the power to force you to use them can also do a lot of other cool stuff they want to do with that power.

46 posted on 07/11/2009 5:23:11 AM PDT by Jim Noble
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To: Scanian
Banning incandescents just got their back up. We'll never get rid of the darned things now.

I'm already moving into the use of "white" LEDs and getting real savings on my monthly power bill.

47 posted on 07/11/2009 5:23:17 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Scanian

I ear that not only is the COLOR of the light from the new bulbs bad, but that they flicker at a very high rate that bothers your eyes over time.


48 posted on 07/11/2009 5:27:03 AM PDT by 2harddrive (then)
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To: chrisser
If CFLs were a better choice for most people, then most people would use them - ban on incadescents or no.

Some people loved them. I was one. No Jimmy Carter sweater wearer I, but I liked bright rooms while hating the excess heat that came from incandescent bulbs. Even the early Circline adaptors found use in many of my table and ceiling lamps.

49 posted on 07/11/2009 5:29:58 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Think of the D Party as what it really is: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
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To: cripplecreek
It will...It will stimulate "the better lightbulb". Move ahead or move back....a candle, a lantern...an incandescent bulb.

We have ELECTRIC coffee pots, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, , bread machines, pasta machines, computers, radios, TV's, etc, etc....

The fact of the matter is, the change will do little except make room for another electic commodity. We just love our electricity!!!

50 posted on 07/11/2009 5:30:51 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Scanian

Compact fluorescent bulbs already meet this standard,except for the mercury part comimg to a landfill near you soon.


51 posted on 07/11/2009 5:34:00 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Sacajaweau
My grandfather purchased one of the ORIGINAL commercial fluorescent light fixtures suitible for household use many decades ago (est. 1938). I own the thing now. You can still purchase bulbs that fit.

In looking up the history on fluorescent bulbs just now I found a little blurb in "the web site that shall never be named" that said by 1951 the US produced more light by flouorescent systems than by incandescent systems.

What that means is that the biederenderen still holding out for incandescent actually lost that war 58 years ago!

At the same time that means the vast power savings Congresscritters imagine to be available by swapping out incandescent for fluorescent systems JUST AREN'T THERE!

Sure, I'm saving on my own power bill, but we have a lot of lights. The poor, with but a single pitiful lightbulb hanging down from a wire run through the ceiling, simply don't have the power consumption necessary to create a basis for savings. (Like that "Depression Era" imagery? With the Obama Depression in place there'll be more of it.)

But, back to the LEDs, we like them because they are not hot.

52 posted on 07/11/2009 5:39:13 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: GnL
So Bush fell for the brainwashing; his only defense, perhaps a bit less resistance; fewer voices in the 'Reason-capable' column; and of course,this was a man under personal and political attack for years; but that said. . .why not 'in light of new awareness' here; repeal this law. Must we compound the insanity? (Oh well. . .)

'Cooling the planet'. . .this 'warming/change' magical thinking is no different than the clear thinking that occurred in Salem, when 'witch burning' made sense. A long-standing tradition of 'scapegoating' while finding as well; poltical advantage.

Of course, all signs point to even greater threats. 'Burn those who dare to burn a light bulb'. . .

53 posted on 07/11/2009 5:39:36 AM PDT by cricket ('Don't bow for me . . Obama ' (America's 'sorry' President))
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To: muawiyah
I've had flourescent lighting for my drafting table since 1964...and love it. Of course, I'm set up for natural light during the day.

I think most people simply didn't realize that except for their home, mosty lighting is/was flourescent. It's a visual thing...The pretty incandescent bulb. The curly bulb still doesn't seem right...Bulbs aren't curly!!! :-)

I have replaced my incandescent bulbs.

In the end, the Congress was the ultimate marketing tool.

They're pulling the same crap with the energy bill and the health bill.

54 posted on 07/11/2009 5:51:22 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: MarkL

“For anyone who’s not familiar with the Kansas City, this is the old “Bendix Plant” and federal complex that was built on a flood plain”

It’s a federal complex, they worked on some stupid nuclear stuff at that plant. I worked for Bendix and I wondered why we were involved with a great potential liability.

Had to be for the almighty dollar.


55 posted on 07/11/2009 5:52:13 AM PDT by Eagles2003
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To: HiTech RedNeck
I was one of the early CFL adopters, but not because they saved the earth. For me it was mostly convenience. I had a few bulbs that got a lot of use in my outdoor lighting. I hated having to change those things all the time, what with the step ladder and the bug bodies. So I started CFLing those. Then there were the lights in the high ceilings, a pain to change, so those got CFLed.

Down here in South Florida, incandescents make alot of heat, so not only do you pay once to operate the light, you pay AGAIN in order to power the AC unit to remove the heat, so I started CFLing most of my lights. At $10 for 6, this price is right.

I still use old school bulbs though, for the vanity lights in the bathroom (more natural colors). Garage, attic, and places where I need instant full power lighting that wont be used for long periods of time. I would NEVER agree with banning those things, and when they do, I'll be one of the people in line looking to stock up.

56 posted on 07/11/2009 6:02:30 AM PDT by Paradox (When the left have no one to villainize, they'll turn on each other.)
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.

Gosh do I miss Ronald Reagan and his philosophies.

.

57 posted on 07/11/2009 6:25:14 AM PDT by polymuser ("We have a right to debate and disagree with any administration!" (HRC))
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To: Scanian
I have the "I'm Pro Choice for Light Bulbs" bumper sticker on my Jeep ... got it from WND. You can find a great article on light bulbs and the bumper sticker here:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=57309

Ive got about 100 incandescent light bulbs in my attic now all safely tucked away in a box. Every time we go to Wal*Mart, I get another six pack. I'm 67 years old, so figuring I might reach an average age for longevity, and replacing about 5 light bulbs per year, I've got a lifetime supply. But I'm thinking REAL light bulbs might be right up there with ammo and canned goods a few years from now! :-)

58 posted on 07/11/2009 6:27:24 AM PDT by DHC-2 (my flags: http://www.jdlinn.com/liberty.html)
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To: Paradox

“Down here in South Florida, incandescents make alot of heat, so not only do you pay once to operate the light, you pay AGAIN in order to power the AC unit to remove the heat”

I do the same in MD. I use the incandescents in the winter because I need heat anyway, and swap over to CFL’s for the summer.

Hasn’t worked this year, this global warming crap is freezing our butts off. AC was on one day in early May, a fluke, and hasn’t been on since.

It’s July and I don’t see a need for AC for at least another week.


59 posted on 07/11/2009 6:29:27 AM PDT by Eagles2003
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To: Scanian

There is a better solution coming. The LED light bulb. Less power, almost no heat, more pleasing light.


60 posted on 07/11/2009 6:37:43 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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