California's new lightbulb rules...

[Coito ergo sum]

Capitalism at it's finest...god forbid we should do anything to control it, eh?

Is something being done to control it? Seems to me that what is being done is encouraging the negative aspects. And, if it was "capitalism at its finest" GE would be left to its own devices. How is government assisting GE "capitalism at its finest?" It's closer to "fascism at its finest" -- with government in bed with corporations in a "corporatist" economy.

One - GE was spearheading the legislative efforts to make CFL's mandatory because it could make more money off of them. So, it took advantage of the "green" movement and convinced everyone that CFL's were not only better, but so much better that they required government power to force their use.

Makes sense, doesn't it? Better products always need government power behind them to sell them. After all - who would want marginally more expensive (or even equally priced) products that actually save money on an electric bill? Nobody would buy that without government help....right?

So - GE gets governments to mandate the purchase of CFLs which conveniently are manufactured in China. That allows GE to close US plants without any union issues at all - no WARN Act problems with mass layoffs and plant shutdowns, right? They have to shut down the plants, because they can't sell the products made there in the US!

So - let's manufacture them in China, which has Most Favored Nation status, and in which the US government CAN'T "do anything to control" it.

Perfect! (for GE)

We do nothing to help the environment -because whatever gains are made by electricity savings are offset by cost, by environmental issues in manufacturing, by environmental issues in breakage and accidents, by environmental issues in disposal, by workers rights issues in the US, and by worker health and safety issues in China....

Anyone who has a hard on for big business should be four square against these mandates. I'm against these kinds of laws that favor big business just as much as I am against these kinds of laws when they come to hamstringing business. This is government picking a winner - GE won - because its lobbying power convinced the government that its product had to be mandated - now they have a captive market. Good for GE. This is also government deciding for the individual how bright a light he or she needs. Fuck it! You don't need a 100 watt bulb - a 60 watt is plenty for you. LOL

This whole CFL thing has stunk since day one. The sooner we collectively realize the scam that has been perpetrated, the sooner we can undo it, hopefully.

[normal]

lol

[Millefleur]

The girls smashed the one above our bed while jumping on the bed, probably should have called EPA. We're all going to dieeeeeeeeeeeee

[drl2]

For a while I was gradually replacing our old incandescent bulbs with the CFLs, but since finding out that you just about need a hazmat team to clean up when one breaks, I'm holding sticking with the old-fashioned bulbs until the price of LEDs comes down a bit more.

[maiforpeace]

Oh, CES... only you can write a half page dissertation to a one liner.

lol

There's a smiley for that...which one? or

The girls smashed the one above our bed while jumping on the bed, probably should have called EPA. We're all going to dieeeeeeeeeeeee

Better not feed them any canned tuna either.

[Millefleur]

The girls smashed the one above our bed while jumping on the bed, probably should have called EPA. We're all going to dieeeeeeeeeeeee

Better not feed them any canned tuna either.

[maiforpeace]

The girls smashed the one above our bed while jumping on the bed, probably should have called EPA. We're all going to dieeeeeeeeeeeee

Better not feed them any canned tuna either.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lCV79H_ ... re=related[/youtube]

Everything...gives you cancer.

When my regular bulbs started running out years ago and when CFL's first came out, I replaced them with CFL's. I honestly can't remember the last time I replaced a light bulb, with the exception of my night lights for which they have yet to make a CFL bulb for.

[ficklefiend]

Maybe the chance is likelier with kids, but they don't seem to break nearly as often as the old ones, I've certainly never dealt with a broken one. The old ones had a habit of going "pop" when they were done.
I've always used a mixture of normal and energy saving bulbs, whatever comes to hand. I don't really see what the big fuss is about, but the fact that there are such strong attitudes about lightbulbs makes me think either one side or the other is doing some pushing.

[normal]

Oh, CES... only you can write a half page dissertation to a one liner.

lol

There's a smiley for that...which one? or

I think that was a - lol

[Millefleur]

The one the girls broke is the only energy saving bulb we've had to replace in about 5 years. We still have a few lamps and lights that we put the old bulbs in because finding small spiral energy saving dimmers is a bitch.

[ficklefiend]

btw, this is the UK Health Protection Agency advice for a broken one:

Ventilate the room
Wipe the area with a damp cloth, place that in the plastic bag and seal it
Sticky tape (e.g. duct tape or similar) can be used to pick up small residual pieces or powder from soft furnishings and then placed in a sealed plastic bag. The plastic bag doesn't need to be air tight, but should be reasonably sturdy.
Place it in another, similar bag and seal that one as well (this minimises cuts from broken glass).

Doesn't look quite so scary.

[Coito ergo sum]

Oh, CES... only you can write a half page dissertation to a one liner.

I love dissertations. Diatribes are even better.

The girls smashed the one above our bed while jumping on the bed, probably should have called EPA. We're all going to dieeeeeeeeeeeee

Better not feed them any canned tuna either.

We ought to just ban the canned tuna, and make a law that people must eat salmon salad sandwiches.

For a while I was gradually replacing our old incandescent bulbs with the CFLs, but since finding out that you just about need a hazmat team to clean up when one breaks, I'm holding sticking with the old-fashioned bulbs until the price of LEDs comes down a bit more.

CFL's are bullshit - and the cleanup issue is just one of the many reasons.

[Loki]

Um, you do know mercury free compact flourescent light bulbs have been available for years now don't you?

Also burning fossil fuels to keep an incandescent bulb going produces more mercury than what is in a mercury ridden standard compact flourescent, and it's released directly into the atmosphere. Or so Google tells me.

[maiforpeace]

Um, you do know mercury free compact flourescent light bulbs have been available for years now don't you?

Also burning fossil fuels to keep an incandescent bulb going produces more mercury than what is in a mercury ridden standard compact flourescent, and it's released directly into the atmosphere. Or so Google tells me.

I didn't know that Loki...thanks for the information, I'll be sure to look for those kind of bulbs now.

Ask TreeHugger: Is Mercury from a Broken CFL Dangerous?

[Coito ergo sum]

Um, you do know mercury free compact flourescent light bulbs have been available for years now don't you?

Also burning fossil fuels to keep an incandescent bulb going produces more mercury than what is in a mercury ridden standard compact flourescent, and it's released directly into the atmosphere. Or so Google tells me.

Not "free" -- but, "reduced" mercury content. Mercury "free" CFL's have not been available for years - they're brand new. And, they're much more expensive.