U.S.Government to ban incandescent light bulbs by 2014?

Question

Good idea?
Not governments role?
OK with cost of compact flourescent bulbs?(currently 5 to 10X cost of incandescent bulbs)

source:
Yahoo News Today

perplexed bob,
if i read the article correctly,it's a nationwide ban.

personally,i like the compact flourescents as well as the LED bulbs.problem is neither will work with a dimmer and both require additional bulbs to get adequate lighting for reading,etc.

Alex,
have you thought about the environmental impact of the mercury in literally 10's of millions of CFB's going into the landfills?

another thought about the mercury;maybe we should insist that all levels of government provide a free reclaimation program for these bulbs to keep the mercury out of the landfills.Much like the glass and paper recycling programs we already have in some communities.

pip,
thanks for your edit;good info!

Answer 1

Considering that most of these bulbs are 5 year type bulbs I'd say the cost is a non-factor.

And they save on energy. If there is an energy crunch I can understand them legislating this.. otherwise I don't like the idea of the government telling me what I can and cannot buy (within reason).. and I already buy these bulbs!

Answer 2

I see no problem with the Government banning incandescent light bulbs by 2014. They put restrictions on auto emissions and compact fluorescent bulbs use far less energy and therefor will make an impact on pollution in this country especially when you think of how many light bulbs we are talking about. Incandescent Light bulbs due cost a lot less than compact fluorescent bulbs, however they last a fraction of the time and cost us far more in energy bills. In the end it is actually cheaper for people to use Compact Fluorescent bulbs. Not to mention the research into LED lights will soon give us LED lights in place of incandescent light bulbs as well. And research suggests they will last far longer than even compact fluorescent with even less energy. In the end it will greatly reduce pollution while saving money for consumers. The Government is simply giving the American people the push we need to stop using incandescent lights.

And in response to some of the posts about the presence of Mercury in the Compact Fluorescent lights, it has been researched to a great extent and the amount of Mercury that is actually in the bulbs will not cause any harm if the bulb is broken.

Answer 3

I have not read that anywhere, however I think they plan on banning them in federal buildings and on federal property.
As such, it would be the governments role.
Yes, as CFLs tend to last many times longer than regular bulbs and are far cheaper to run. They pay for themselves very quickly.

More bulbs to get light to read by - Myth. There are CFLs that are so bright I can't look directly at them. Like incandescents, they are rated by light output. Buy a brighter bulb.

Mercury - More mercury is released by coal fired (the biggest source of electricity in the US) power plants from the difference than would be released if every bulb was improperly disposed of.

Dimming - Again, myth. While not all CFLs can be dimmed, there are dim-able units. Additionally, LED bulbs are dim-able.

Some people have issues with florescent light - This is true. Fluorescents tend to flicker, some worse than others. This affect can be lessened by the use of multiple bulbs spaced a little apart. If that still does not help, LED based bulbs do not experience the flicker effect. The law will not require fluorescents (or actual ban incandescents) it only requires that bulbs produce more than a specific amount of light per watt.

Answer 4

The compact flourescent bulbs last a lot longer though. If you work out cost of one unit to amount of time you get out of that unit, the CF bulbs are the better buy. I like them for some things, but they're really dim and wimpy, definitely don't make good reading light.

Answer 5

I don't like being told what type of lights that I can buy. I have tried the compact fluorescent bulbs and I don't like them. They contain small amounts of mercury which is considered a hazardous material. I will be going to the Home Depot and buy my incandescent bulbs by the case. A few cases should last me for a while.

Answer 6

Stories like this could cause riots...everybody running to the store and stocking up on incandescent light bulbs to sell on the black market once they are banned. Of course, this will be another measure to show the difference between those that can afford changes and those that can't. Some of us (me included) may resort back to the days before incandescent light...good old fashioned candles.

Answer 7

It sounds like a good way to save energy, but I'm somewhat concerned about that many bulbs being produced with mercury in them.

Answer 8

Compact flourescent bulbs are not only overpriced, some people have physical problems under that type of lighting.

Answer 9

They will take away my light bulbs over my cold dead body. I'm going to walmart now to stock up on thousands of 10 cent bulbs. Who would have thought perhaps the next civil war will be fought over light bulbs.

Answer 10

They cost a lot less to run and they last a heck of a lot longer. I am willing to shell out more for them. I like saving money on my electric bill...