Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

[Finster]

Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aPxA08AwZUfk

Light Bulbs, Gas Changing as U.S. Energy Bill Passes

(Update1)

By Daniel Whitten

Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The light bulbs in almost every U.S. home and the gasoline in many cars will be altered by energy legislation that the U.S. House of Representatives passed today. President George W. Bush plans to sign the bill tomorrow.

…

Companies such as Amsterdam-based Royal Philips Electronics NV, the world's largest light-bulb maker, and GE, seeing the determination by Democrats to act on energy legislation, helped Congress develop the lighting standards that will end the sale of incandescent light bulbs within a decade.

…

Is it just me, or does anyone else see the irony? This is the same US government that is spending countless billions and thousands of human lives to "bring freedom" to far-flung corners of the globe. But its own citizens will not be free to buy or sell an ordinary incandescent light bulb.

The United States of America, the Land of the Free. R.I.P.

Supposedly, this will save energy. But even that conclusion is flawed. It is based on the premise that an incandescent light bulb is only a few percent efficient. Other lighting sources turn more of the energy that goes into them into light. Therefore, the pseude-scientific bureaucratic reasoning goes, we can use lower wattage bulbs and save energy. But that’s only true if you look just at light output. Because no matter what kind of light you’re using, 100% of that energy is turned into heat. That’s right, during the heating season every watt-hour that goes into your light bulbs offsets an equivalent number of BTUs of heat from your furnace. For this reason, I prefer using incandescents in the winter. Since much electricity is produced from domestic coal, hydropower, or nuclear, that reduces dependence on imported oil and other hydrocarbon fuels.

But our politicians, in their infinite stupidity, are determined to take away my freedom to make a choice. If it were really so important to them to reduce reliance on imported energy, why not tax it more and let the markets sort out the best way to economize?

Oh, no … that would be against the principle of "free trade" …

[jk]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

finster, maybe you can trade carbon credits with someone who requires air conditioning.

[Andreuccio]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

finster, maybe you can trade carbon credits with someone who requires air conditioning.

Or buy an electric heater.

http://www.amazon.com/Delonghi-TRD07...8031961&sr=1-1

[Finster]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Or buy an electric heater.

http://www.amazon.com/Delonghi-TRD07...8031961&sr=1-1

As I pointed out in my post (did you read it?) that light bulb is an electric heater. It just happens to cost a lot less in large part because it takes a lot less energy to produce it!

[zoog]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Companies such as Amsterdam-based Royal Philips Electronics NV, the world's largest light-bulb maker, and GE, seeing the determination by Democrats to act on energy legislation, helped Congress develop the lighting standards that will end the sale of incandescent light bulbs within a decade.

It may surprise readers to hear that in spite of the over-bought indexes, I am getting ready to make my first stock buys in years. One I've been following for years is Philips. They were smart enough to recently buy a local company, Color Kinetics, which I've been following for seven years.

They are well positioned to take advantage of both the global Alt Energy trend (conservation stage) and the US Infrastructure trend.

Hmmmmm....

[jimmygu3]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Is it just me, or does anyone else see the irony? This is the same US government that is spending countless billions and thousands of human lives to "bring freedom" to far-flung corners of the globe. But its own citizens will not be free to buy or sell an ordinary incandescent light bulb......
But our politicians, in their infinite stupidity, are determined to take away my freedom to make a choice. If it were really so important to them to reduce reliance on imported energy, why not tax it more and let the markets sort out the best way to economize?

Oh, no … that would be against the principle of "free trade" …

By the way, on the off chance you break one of the delicate spiral CFL bulbs, be sure to follow the EPA's extensive cleanup procedure below. That should help keep the levels of toxic mercury in your home at or below acceptable levels. And the government hasn't come up with an effective way to get Americans to recycle the billions of CFL bulbs, so hopefully they won't break when they go into the garbage truck or landfill.

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partner...et_Mercury.pdf


How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?

The following steps can be performed by the general public:

1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.


2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.


�� Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands). Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag.

�� Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

3. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag.



�� Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal.

�� Note: some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center.

�� Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

4. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet:



�� First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.

�� If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

[Finster]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Hmmmmm....

Must just be a coincidence, Zoog ...

...

Light Bulbs, Gas Changing as U.S. Energy Bill Passes

(Update1)

By Daniel Whitten

Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- …

Companies such as Amsterdam-based Royal Philips Electronics NV, the world's largest light-bulb maker, and GE, seeing the determination by Democrats to act on energy legislation, helped Congress develop the lighting standards that will end the sale of incandescent light bulbs within a decade...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aPxA08AwZUfk

...

...

Philips Plans to Buy Back EU5 Billion of Shares

(Update4)

By Marcel van de Hoef

Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Philips Electronics NV, the world's biggest maker of light bulbs, will buy back 5 billion euros ($7.2 billion) of stock in its biggest such program ever...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aOal5Te1duno

...

[Finster]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

By the way, on the off chance you break one of the delicate spiral CFL bulbs, be sure to follow the EPA's extensive cleanup procedure below. That should help keep the levels of toxic mercury in your home at or below acceptable levels. And the government hasn't come up with an effective way to get Americans to recycle the billions of CFL bulbs, so hopefully they won't break when they go into the garbage truck or landfill....

Yikes. If government's "good intentions" were ever measured by actual results, most programs and legislation would never see the light of day. The mere fact that it is passing yet another "energy bill" ought to give us pause. The last one was just over two years ago:

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub.L. 109-058) is a statute that was passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005 and signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2005 at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Act, described by proponents as an attempt to combat growing energy problems, provides tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of various types.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005

Oil price at the time: $61.39

Oil price now: $91.27

[dbarberic]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Issues with CFLs will be moot once the technology for LEDs has advanced enough to replace CFLs.

[zoog]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Must just be a coincidence, Zoog ...

...

Light Bulbs, Gas Changing as U.S. Energy Bill Passes

(Update1)

By Daniel Whitten

Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- …

Companies such as Amsterdam-based Royal Philips Electronics NV, the world's largest light-bulb maker, and GE, seeing the determination by Democrats to act on energy legislation, helped Congress develop the lighting standards that will end the sale of incandescent light bulbs within a decade...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aPxA08AwZUfk

...

...

Philips Plans to Buy Back EU5 Billion of Shares

(Update4)

By Marcel van de Hoef

Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Philips Electronics NV, the world's biggest maker of light bulbs, will buy back 5 billion euros ($7.2 billion) of stock in its biggest such program ever...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aOal5Te1duno

...

No coincidence that the world's largest light bulb manufacturer, singularly poised to profit from increased CFL and LED bulb sales, "helped" Congress write new lighting standards.

Just like the banks and major credit lenders wrote the revised bankruptcy legislation.

[Andreuccio]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

No coincidence that the world's largest light bulb manufacturer, singularly poised to profit from increased CFL and LED bulb sales, "helped" Congress write new lighting standards.

Maybe they can transition into making electric heaters, (with, umm, light as a byproduct).

[Andreuccio]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

As I pointed out in my post (did you read it?) that light bulb is an electric heater. It just happens to cost a lot less in large part because it takes a lot less energy to produce it!

Just out of curiosity, how many light bulbs does it take to heat a room?

[Finster]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Maybe they can transition into making electric heaters, (with, umm, light as a byproduct).

HA!

Just out of curiosity, how many light bulbs does it take to heat a room?

It doesn't matter. The point is that light bulbs use zero energy during heating season. Each unit of energy they use is one less that is used by your furnace.

Issues with CFLs will be moot once the technology for LEDs has advanced enough to replace CFLs.

Personally, I like the little fluorescents and make liberal use of them right here in the Manor. I just have the audacity to think that in a "free country" I should have the right to choose when and where. Sometimes it just makes more sense to use those inexpensive electric heaters that throw off free light as a byproduct.

Electric lights use virtually zero net energy during heating season!

Nothing wrong with LEDs though. My guess is they will become common for general lighting within a few years. Even here in the Manor ... during air conditioning season...

[santafe2]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

Supposedly, this will save energy. But even that conclusion is flawed. It is based on the premise that an incandescent light bulb is only a few percent efficient. Other lighting sources turn more of the energy that goes into them into light. Therefore, the pseude-scientific bureaucratic reasoning goes, we can use lower wattage bulbs and save energy. But that’s only true if you look just at light output. Because no matter what kind of light you’re using, 100% of that energy is turned into heat. That’s right, during the heating season every watt-hour that goes into your light bulbs offsets an equivalent number of BTUs of heat from your furnace. For this reason, I prefer using incandescents in the winter. Since much electricity is produced from domestic coal, hydropower, or nuclear, that reduces dependence on imported oil and other hydrocarbon fuels.

Modern incandescent light bulbs generate ~95% of their energy as heat or thermal energy with only 5% of the energy emitted as visible light. Considering their inefficiency they produce an amazing amount of light.

In modern work spaces where most lighting is used, incandescent lights were discarded long ago in favor of fluorescent bulbs. The T8 standard provides the same light as an incandescent light bulb while using about 25% the energy. There are no building owners using incandescent lighting. It costs too much and the life cycle is too short.

LED commercial lighting is just now coming on board as is ~40% more efficient than T8 fluorescent and uses about 15% the energy required by incandescent bulbs.

It's true that incandescents are much more efficient providers of heat than they are providers of light. A 100 watt incandescent light bulb consumes 1 kWh of electricity in 10 hours or 2.4 kWh if left on 24 hours a day. When converted to BTUs, a common measure of heat energy, this translates to ~8,000 BTU per day or over a million BTUs during the winter heating season.

Although it wouldn't be as pleasant as a fireplace or a wood stove one could turn on about 80, 100 watt incandescent bulbs in an average home and use this as an alternate heat source. More if you live in Buffalo, NY, less if you live in South Florida.

Of course you'd have to pack all your lights away in late spring and switch of CFL or LED lighting to keep your energy use to a minimum.

Finster's point is well taken in that the great majority of energy used in a home is thermal energy. Either heating or cooling a home. Light energy is important in commercial buildings but no one had to legislate the use of low power consumption lighting, building owners made economic choices to change their lighting.

[Finster]

Re: Light Bulbs To Be Made Illegal

... Of course you'd have to pack all your lights away in late spring and switch of CFL or LED lighting to keep your energy use to a minimum...

This point bears extra emphasis if you're using air conditioning, because that not only neutralizes, but reverses, the whole energy equation. During cooling season, every unit of energy you burn in the house takes additional energy to be pumped back out.

This is where CFL and LEF lighting really ... uhm ... shines...