Washington to outlaw lightbulbs

I recieved this via MySpace bulletin.
And I wasnt sent a link to this story,so if anyone can provide a link,it would be appreciated.
Im going to treat this story as real,until its verified other wise.
So I apologise for a lack of a link.
So seeing as I have no link to give,I will post it as i recieved it.

(Mods please be kind)

Washington to outlaw lightbulbs

Outlaw light bulbs and only outlaws will have light bulbs

In the pursuit of better energy use, has the government gone mad?

Washington, D.C. - Among the regulations packed into the newest energy bill that just passed Congress this week, a ban on the incandescent light bulb will officially end what Edison started 130 years ago. "If you outlaw light bulbs, then only outlaws will have light bulbs," says Libertarian Party Executive Director Shane Cory.

"The ban on incandescent light bulbs may seem almost comical," says Cory, "but it raises several red flags on the level of government intrusion in people's lives. From the toilets in your bathroom to the lights in your ceiling, there are very few consumer products free from some form of government regulation. I seriously doubt regulating light bulbs was intended to be a necessary-and-proper role of the federal government."

Incandescent light bulbs will begin to be phased out in 2012, with a complete ban finalized in 2014. Manufacturers will be forced to switch to compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, which can cost more than six times as much as the common incandescent bulb. While CFL bulbs are much more energy efficient, to maintain the bulb's longevity and achieve maximum efficiency, consumers must adhere to proper operating suggestions made by Congress, such as leaving the bulb turned on for at least 15 minutes.

"Not only do consumers have to alter how they use light in their houses, they must also take a number of precautions with CFL bulbs that were unnecessary when using incandescent bulbs," says Libertarian Party Media Coordinator Andrew Davis. "Because of the toxic levels of mercury in CFL bulbs, consumers will need to check with their waste management providers for proper disposal methods, and consumers will also have to research how to clean up broken bulbs. These bulbs may save energy in the long run, but at a great inconvenience to the consumer."

The Libertarian Party believes in free market solutions to environmental problems, and vehemently opposes government regulation that interferes with private business and personal liberty. The Libertarian Party also maintains that solutions cannot come from America's biggest polluter: the federal government.

"How many Americans does it take to change a light bulb?" Davis asks jokingly. "I guess we'll have to wait for next year's energy bill to find out."

I can find no real proof either way.
Every link I look into has pretty much the same thing that you already posted. Besides being on the Libertarian website and various blogs, I can not seem to find anything else. Maybe it is just me but wouldn't you think that they would provide a link to the proposed energy bill? I am not saying it isn't true. It is the Federal government after all. From the fantastic to the sublime.

I remember seeing a link to a news story about this on the front page of Yahoo news.

I will see if I can find it.


*Found it*

news.yahoo.com...

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

Daniel Whitten
Tue Dec 18, 2:19 PM ET



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

[edit on 21-12-2007 by greeneyedleo]

I wish someone would invent a lower energy lightbulb which would be as bright as the old sort...the newer low energy ones are garbage IMHO,as they do not give out as much light,whatever the claims made by the manufacturers..
A bit like the switch to digital TV...which is crap in any sort of rain or wind where I live.
Sometimes new technology just does not out perform the older stuff...and yet we are always blagged into believing the new stuff is better.

Yeah, nice. Meanwhile the gubmint is building bigger Aircraft carriers and more planes to fly 24/7, dumping fuel in the oceans and skies, wasting billions.

Maybe they'll give us a 'living in the dark' credit on our new taxes which are supposed to double next year.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


Oh, but they have:

LED bulbs: a bright idea?

The only problem right now is the price. But that won't stay high forever.

Ah, the hell with it, no one else has mentioned it, so I'm going to don my tin foil hat and stick paper clips up my nose:

Incandescent light bulbs will begin to be phased out in 2012,

It's that date again!!

reply to post by Beachcoma


Now thats more like it!
LEDS rock!
It will be good when the prices come down,and they will like you said.The low energy "tube" type bulbs are pretty cheap now,and they were very expensive here a couple of years back.
Good find!

I already use the new bulbs, they pay for themselves in the electricity you save.

I would use the leds but the technology is not there yet to make an affordable household bulb that is bright enough for everyday use.

How can anyone be against this? Youll save more money and everyone will use less electricity.

reply to post by Flyer


I am not against the idea at all,but I just don't think those current low energy bulbs are as bright as the old style ones.
Its a step in the right direction though,and hopefully brighter versions will be available soon,or those LEDS will get cheaper.
Low energy consumption is great-you can do more with solar and wind power to get less reliant on the grid.

I've got those new energy saving bulbs in my house and they are fine. For 11W of energy, they are as bright as a 60W incandescent bulb. Not a bad energy saving there of 82%.

Plus they last something like 100 times longer. I've not had to change one yet and it's been 2 years.

They also only cost around £2 a bulb, compared to the £1 a normal bulb costs, so the savings are earned back very quickly indeed.

EDIT: Some electricity suppliers actually give them out free, so I see no logical reason why people should not use them.

[edit on 22/12/07 by stumason]

I've gradually made the switch to fluorescent bulbs throughout my home, but it should be mentioned that there is a problem with 'dimmer switches'.

Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with a dimmer switch?
To use a compact fluorescent bulb on a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that's specifically made to work with dimmers (check the package). GE makes a dimming compact fluorescent light bulb (called the Energy Smart Dimming Spirals®) that is specially designed for use with dimming switches. We don't recommend using regular compact fluorescent bulbs with dimming switches, since this can shorten bulb life. (Using a regular compact fluorescent bulb with a dimmer will also nullify the bulb's warranty.)

www.gelighting.com...

[edit on 22/12/07 by masqua]

reply to post by masqua


Yeah I found that out the fun way, I placed a compact fluorescent light bulb on a dimmer switch and everything was fine while it was turned all the way to max. I dimmed it and about 2 minutes later it started to flicker like crazy and made a very audible pop noise and blew out. 6 dollars gone in like 4 hours, never try that again.

The problem though with the new bulbs is if they break you can get mercury poisoning. I hope you all know that, they also give off mercury vapors even when you turn them on. Not much but some. And these bulbs can not be disposed of in landfills, due to the fact they contain mercury. I need more coffee. It took me 5 misspelled word to get thru this. But I had one that got broken and its not a good thing.

Which makes me wonder, why in the heck would the government endorse something that is harmful to us? Like flouride in the water, mercury in vaccines, and now in light bulbs. Strange I think the government is trying to kill us all. But still I dont think the government has the right to tell us what we can do and not do as far as lights are concerned. If they want to come in my home and check my bulbs I will stick one in there butt. Lets see if that will put some light on the subject.

Hilda

Originally posted by hildar
The problem though with the new bulbs is if they break you can get mercury poisoning. I hope you all know that, they also give off mercury vapors even when you turn them on. Not much but some. And these bulbs can not be disposed of in landfills, due to the fact they contain mercury. I need more coffee. It took me 5 misspelled word to get thru this. But I had one that got broken and its not a good thing.

Which makes me wonder, why in the heck would the government endorse something that is harmful to us? Like flouride in the water, mercury in vaccines, and now in light bulbs. Strange I think the government is trying to kill us all. But still I dont think the government has the right to tell us what we can do and not do as far as lights are concerned. If they want to come in my home and check my bulbs I will stick one in there butt. Lets see if that will put some light on the subject.

Hilda

I was just about to post about this same thing.....nice. There are dangers if you have many bulbs in the house to dispose of. You must make sure not to break them, and the real hazard from what I have read is actually to the garbage men that pick up your garbage. They can be exposed to these broken bulbs from your trash. If I am not mistaken these bulbs are actually banned in some areas of the US because of this. Make sure you do not break them when you get rid of them....especially if you have children in the house.

There is some good info here: www.eartheasy.com...



-B

[edit on 12/26/07 by Vasa Croe]