Congressional Win for Light Bulbs

[ClydeR]

The new omnibus law in the House eliminates funding to enforce the light bulb laws. It doesn't change the standards. It just stops the government from enforcing them.

This is what domestic light bulb producers deserve. They should never invested millions of dollars in new plants to comply with the new standards, because it was wrong to tell people what kind of light bulb they can use. Now they will go bankrupt and lose all of that investment because they will not be able to compete with cheap regular bulbs from China.


The shutdown-averting budget bill will block federal light bulb efficiency standards, giving a win to House Republicans fighting the so-called ban on incandescent light bulbs.

GOP and Democratic sources tell POLITICO the final omnibus bill includes a rider defunding the Energy Department's standards for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient.

DOE's light bulb rules — authorized under a 2007 energy law authored signed by President George W. Bush — would start going into effect Jan. 1. The rider will prevent DOE from implementing the rules through Sept. 30

More... (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70534.html)

House Republicans are in such a hurry to start their Christmas vacation that they were willing to break their promises in order to get out of town today. Republicans promised they would not pass any more omnibus laws when they took over the House. They also promised not to pass laws that are not available for review for at least three days. The new omnibus law violates both of those promises.

[Tgo01]

It amazes me how much Republicans in Congress care about the incandescent bulb. Goodness people just let the thing die already, embrace the future!

[Traelin]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-compact-fluorescent-lightbulbs-dangerous

[Tgo01]

I'm not sure if you posted that to agree with me about Republicans clinging to incandescent bulbs or to disagree with me. Since it seems the article is trying to say CFL bulbs aren't as dangerous as some people claim it is I'm going to say agree.

[Gelston]

How is it saying they aren't as dangerous? It says you have to evacuate and air the room out before you clean it up...

Jim Berlow, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division, recommends starting by opening the windows and stepping outside. "Any problems at all frequently are handled for the most part by quickly ventilating the room," he says. "Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out. If you have a central heating system or an HVAC [heating, ventilating and air-conditioning] system, you don't want it sucking the fumes around, so shut that down."

I mean, sounds pretty stupid to me.

[Latrinsorm]

Honestly though, how many people here have ever even seen a broken lightbulb, let alone have them in their house on a regular basis? The House Republicans are way off base this time.

[Gelston]

Is that sarcasm? I've seen quite a few.

Oh, and will a potato still work to remove one?

[Tgo01]

How is it saying they aren't as dangerous? It says you have to evacuate and air the room out before you clean it up...

Jim Berlow, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division, recommends starting by opening the windows and stepping outside. "Any problems at all frequently are handled for the most part by quickly ventilating the room," he says. "Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out. If you have a central heating system or an HVAC [heating, ventilating and air-conditioning] system, you don't want it sucking the fumes around, so shut that down."

I didn't say CFL's aren't as 'dangerous' as incandescent bulbs, I said the article says they aren't as dangerous as people afraid of CFL bulbs make them out to be considering the horror story they usually cite is:


Lightbulbs break all the time. So why would a single broken bulb in a Maine household trigger the state's Department of Environmental Protection to refer the homeowner to a decontaminator?

Eating fish 5 days a week is potentially more dangerous to your health than a single broken CFL light bulb. I would advise you take the same precaution of ventilating a room if you spilled a large quantity of bleach or ammonia.

Also from the article:


"Our first preference is not to see them go into landfills," Berlow says. "Recycling really closes the loop on this as best we can right now. But on the other hand, we also don't see huge risks from them going into landfills, either."

And compact fluorescent bulbs actually reduce the mercury pollution from the single largest U.S. source: coal-fired power plants. "Probably the most important thing that people need to connect with compact fluorescents is that they save significant quantities of energy," Berlow adds. "We're talking about two thirds to three quarters of the energy associated with lighting being reduced."

So other than the very small potential hazard to your health if you accidentally break a CFL bulb (and they are more sturdy than incandescent bulbs and newer ones have an extra protective layer over the squiggly part containing the mercury) CFL bulbs are all around better.

It's like some sort of witch hunt on the Republicans' part for no real reason.

[Latrinsorm]

Is that sarcasm? I've seen quite a few.

Oh, and will a potato still work to remove one?No sarcasm. 26 years and I haven't seen one in the places I've lived.

[Gelston]

No sarcasm. 26 years and I haven't seen one in the places I've lived.

Perhaps you haven't, but me personally... Through the Marine Corps and personaly, I've seen a lot of broken light bulbs. Maybe you are a lot more careful but they DO break and they are easy as hell to break.

[Gelston]

I didn't say CFL's aren't as 'dangerous' as incandescent bulbs, I said the article says they aren't as dangerous as people afraid of CFL bulbs make them out to be considering the horror story they usually cite is:



Eating fish 5 days a week is potentially more dangerous to your health than a single broken CFL light bulb. I would advise you take the same precaution of ventilating a room if you spilled a large quantity of bleach or ammonia.

Also from the article:



So other than the very small potential hazard to your health if you accidentally break a CFL bulb (and they are more sturdy than incandescent bulbs and newer ones have an extra protective layer over the squiggly part containing the mercury) CFL bulbs are all around better.

It's like some sort of witch hunt on the Republicans' part for no real reason.

I know the other stuff the article said. It still said that when you DO break one of them, you need to evacuate the premises for a time before you can clean it up.

However, why do you care, honestly? What big difference does it make? Tell me that.

[Tgo01]

I know the other stuff the article said. It still said that when you DO break one of them, you need to evacuate the premises for a time before you can clean it up.

However, why do you care, honestly? What big difference does it make? Tell me that.

It bothers me that members of Congress are making such a big deal about this. They've been fighting this for over 3 years now I think and I could ask the same question of them, what big difference does it make?

They are fighting for something that has no real benefit for no apparent reason. It would be like fighting against laws that require car makers to make their cars more fuel efficient.

[Gan]

Honestly though, how many people here have ever even seen a broken lightbulb, let alone have them in their house on a regular basis? The House Republicans are way off base this time.

As a homeowner, when I'm changing an occasional burned out bulb it may seperate from its base.

As a homeowner, I have had to clean up a broken bulb when a lamp gets knocked over.

As a homeowner, I have a drop light that I use when working in dark places around the house or garage that will occasionally bang against something and break the bulb inside.

One day, when stop living with your parents...

[Parkbandit]

No sarcasm. 26 years and I haven't seen one in the places I've lived.

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/5/10/129179935564199718.jpg

[Parkbandit]

As a homeowner, when I'm changing an occasional burned out bulb it may seperate from its base.

As a homeowner, I have had to clean up a broken bulb when a lamp gets knocked over.

As a homeowner, I have a drop light that I use when working in dark places around the house or garage that will occasionally bang against something and break the bulb inside.

One day, when stop living with your parents...

This.

If you have never had to go through the horror of a broken light bulb.. you might be leading an incredibly sheltered life.

http://static.oprah.com/images/seriesandspecials/screeningroom/20100217-john-travolta-1-600x411.jpg

[Latrinsorm]

Who knocks over lamps? Who bashes lights against things? Obviously in those situations you would get broken bulbs, but why are you in those situations? I'm not the most coordinated guy on the planet and I've managed to avoid them. It's as silly as trying to outlaw kitchen knives because you might slip and stab yourself in the throat.

[Back]

HYSTERICAL OUTRAGEOUSNESS!!!!

[Alfster]

Who knocks over lamps? Who bashes lights against things? Obviously in those situations you would get broken bulbs, but why are you in those situations? I'm not the most coordinated guy on the planet and I've managed to avoid them. It's as silly as trying to outlaw kitchen knives because you might slip and stab yourself in the throat.

Kids, dogs, fucking.

[Back]

Kids, dogs, fucking.

Thank Edison for less fires.

[Latrinsorm]

Kids, dogs, fucking.They belong outside, as God intended.