California Assemblyman wants to ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012
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Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:53:00 GMT |
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LOS ANGELES - California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine is in favor of a complete ban on incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 as a first step toward fighting global warming.
Levine says that the energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs are a viable alternative and can also reduce the impact of greenhouse gases. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are indeed a method to save energy as they use only 25 percent of the energy used by traditional lightbulbs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that by 2005 around 100 million CFLs have been sold in the country. This is just about 5 percent of the 2-billion strong lightbulb market. "They save money and energy," EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. "They are more convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture."
CFLs are the flavor of the season as Wal-Mart has also announced that it would be selling 100 million such bulbs by the end of 2007.
Levine said Tuesday that such bulbs were needed as the traditional models have not been modified since they were last invented.
"Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications," he added. "Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient; converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light."
California is the first US state to legislate on global warming after it became mandatory to cut greenhouse emissions by 25 percent over the next 13 years.
Arthur Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission revealed that an average household could expect to save $40 to $50 each year if CFLs are chosen over the conventional lightbulbs.
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Light bulbs? Are you kidding?
By:
Ms. D. ,
Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:25:52 GMT
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So banning light bulbs is a "start" to stop global warming. I would think there are other issues that need to be addressed by Sacramento first. Number one on the list is banning SUVs. That's right - banning them - in California, the state with the highest number of SUVs in the country, followed closely by Indiana. Then perhaps Levine would be taken seriously. If Assemblyman Levine is so focused on the global warming issue, why is he not looking at reversing the federal tax write-off on SUVs? Why are SUVs not subjected to the "gas guzzler" tax? Why are they still allowed on California streets, most of which have a ban on vehicles exceeding 6000 pounds? Perhaps, in his free time, Levine might peruse these issues instead of some lame-brained attempt to further legislate people's lives. Enough already!
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Global warming & light bulbs
By:
Roger Eriksen ,
Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:14:29 GMT
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I have been writing several members of Congress regarding global warming. The following text is my next message to Congress and to several people in the private sector. In its format, the letter contains a picture of engineers from China and India touring one of our electrical generating plants. My text states,
WE MUST SOLVE THE GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEM.
Laws alone will not solve the global warming problem. Laws do not solve problems; they simply provide governments an avenue for punishment. When it comes to the global warming problem, punishment just doesn’t “cut it.” The very last thing we need is to have light bulb police serving us with a warrant and searching our homes for incandescent lamps. We do need to have people from all nations with degrees in physics and chemistry and meteorology and biology and engineering work together for the common cause of reducing greenhouse gases to the level determined by said people. The role of governments must be to promote and foster their ideas and then provide the funds to implement those ideas. To accomplish this, “We the People” must elect people with advanced degrees in the physical sciences to the legislative branches of government. They are the only people who completely understand the complexities of the problem.
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Stick to your knitting, Assemblyman Levine
By:
Upaj Os ,
Sat, 03 Feb 2007 20:25:17 GMT
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This is about the most bone-headed thing coming out of the legislature in Sacramento in recent memory. I can think of a couple of pros and cons about compact fluorescents, and the list of cons is much longer --
PRO:
* They produce more lumens per watt (i.e., they use less power for a given level of light).
CON:
* Inferior quality -- certain brands usually fail long before the stated service life, even used in benign conditions
* Expensive compared to incandescent bulbs -- coupled with premature failure, the cost per hour of operation may exceed that of incandescent bulbs
* May not operate in existing enclosed fixtures designed for incandescents -- will overheat and fail prematurely
* Can't operate with dimmer controls -- may overheat and catch fire; forced replacement of dimmer controls in residences and businesses with standard switches is expensive and will generate a significant waste stream, some of it hazardous
* Fragile circuitry inside -- components or circuit traces will break; tend to fail prematurely in high vibration conditions (ceiling fans, garage door openers)
* Audible noise in certain brands
* Visible flicker in certain brands
* Mercury content -- disposal requires hazardous waste protocols
* Poor cold start characteristics -- May not start in extremely cold environments, or light output is significantly decreased in low ambient temperatures, making them significantly less energy efficient
* Time delay in startup; cannot be used where instant light is needed
* Lack of heat output makes them useless where heat AND light are needed or desired
* Unnatural light -- phosphors lack many colors of the visible spectrum, resulting in unnatural illumination
* Emit higher levels of ultraviolet (UV) light -- harmful to eyes, causes color fading of furnishings
* Mostly Made in China -- worsens our trade imbalance and national debt
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