This mornings news fodder is rife with nuggets of stupidity. This one I just can't leave alone.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
By DIANE CARDWELL
Published: December 16, 2011
The law to phase out traditional incandescent light bulbs was promoted as a simple, almost painless, change when Congress first passed it. By requiring that light bulbs use at least 25 percent less electricity, starting in 2012, the nation would use less energy, manufacturers would invent more efficient types of bulbs and the planet would be spared millions of tons of carbon emissions every year.
But the traditional light bulb — that lowly orb of glass, filament and threaded metal base — has become a powerful emotional symbol, conjuring both consumer anxiety over losing a familiar and flattering light source and political antipathy to government meddling.
On Friday, the House voted to delay enforcement of the new standards until at least Oct. 1, with the Senate expected to agree, as part of a last-minute budget deal to keep the government operating through the rest of the fiscal year. Republicans have vowed to press for a full repeal of the new rules.
“This was one of those things that resonated with a lot of people, especially in the election of 2010, where so much personal liberty had been eroded,” said Representative Michael C. Burgess, Republican of Texas, a state that recently passed a law to exempt bulbs made and sold within its borders from the federal standards. “The light bulb was what put a public face on it. People got it when you said, ‘Well, why should the federal government restrict my freedom on what type of light I use?’ ” Full article here
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First let me say that we use mostly CPF's (compact fluorescent) in our house. The decision was made for financial reasons. I did the math on what we could save v.s. the upfront costs and "I" chose to make the change. You know the drill...cutting living expenses as much as possible so we can afford trips to Vieques.
But this wrangling by congress and then the masses hoarding traditional incandescent 100 watt bulbs is just plain stupid. You've got the government claiming this is huge step towards energy independence, business salivating like Pavlov's dogs over another new "government enforced" revenue stream and the consumers reacting like idiots.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Light Bulb Ban | ||||
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Seriously folks...I've got a better solution. Try not buying bottled water. You'll save yourself $400 a year (for a typical 4 person household) and you'll save over 45 million barrels of oil, satisfying the "green" mantra. No government intervention and no upfront costs to you. KISS (Keep it simple stupid). Just in case you want to do the math here's some links:
U.S lighting energy usage
Bottled water and energy
Bottled water facts
If you don't think plastic is a problem on our beaches take a look at this picture from November of this year on Orchid beach:
:-)
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