Westrom's idea: stop federal ban on light bulbs

C A P.
Alexandria, MN     03/20/2010 10:11 PM

The "bigger picture" was explained. REread

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Like-minded extreme right wing lemming. I.
03/20/2010 8:02 PM

Actually Bonnie H, for many of Rep. Westrom's constituents, this is very important.

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Bonnie H.
03/20/2010 6:48 PM

Really people! Is this the most pressing item on Mr. Westrom's plate that it warrants a bill to be written??

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Roger E.
Beltsville, MD     03/20/2010 5:01 PM

I haven't checked the labels lately but I've heard before that most, if not all, of the CFL bulbs are manufactured in China. In addition to the previous comments about slow warm-up, which really defeats the goal of turning on the light, do we really want to continue the imbalance of trade?

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peter d.
03/20/2010 11:40 AM

People pay for their electricity, and any limitation on their use (like a light bulb ban) IS indeed warranted: If there is an energy shortage, and if its the best way to deal with emissions. Neither holds: there is no energy shortage, given nuclear/renewables, and any fossil fuel shortage (oil/coal/gas) leads to price rises and people buying energy-saving products anyway - no need to legislate for it. Light bulbs don't give out CO2, power stations might not either Where there is a problem, Deal with the problem: CO2 emission are and will be lowered anyway through emission processing, energy substitution and grid interconnections that give a relatively fast spread of low-emission electricity For many reasons, savings turn out small anyway, see below website. Still want to target bulbs? OK - what is the ban about? Unsafe bulbs? No, that's the other lot! The ban is simply about reducing electricity consumption. Now, what do politicians NORMALLY do to reduce consumption of a safe product in society (and even unsafe alcohol and cigarettes!) ? Yes - taxation. Remember - it's about reducing electricity consumption (unwarranted, but anyway). So energy source or electricity can be taxed = people can decide for themselves how to reduce their consumption! Or, light bulbs are taxed, which being cheap , means they can absorb a lot of tax and deliver big government income (EU and USA 2 billion sales each, 2008) - income that can go to energy+ environmental spending (renewable projects, home house insulation etc) reducing energy and emissions more than remaining light bulbs raise them. Consumers keep choice, and energy saving bulbs can be cheaper than today through overall sales tax on them being lowered - consumers will accept tax anyway since a ban is the publicized alternative. Tax is wrong for similar reasons to bans, but a better option than bans also for ban proponents... http://ceolas.net/#li1x about Light bulb ban http://ceolas.net/LightBulbTax.html light bulb tax (might have to update the figures, but gives the principle!)

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Michael P.
03/20/2010 9:16 AM

I support Rep. Westrom's efforts, but I don't believe they were intended to be a referendum on whether the new CFL bulbs are a good product. We happen to use them because of the energy savings and their long-lasting quality. I believe that if consumers in the free market support the CFL bulbs through their purchase choices, that it will contribute to the development of improved CFL bulbs that don't have the current hazards with mercury, etc., and that provide better light (though I've never had any complaints - as with any bulb, you need to buy the one that provides the level of light you need). A commentator above mentioned some good precautions for safety, such as using traditional incandescent bulbs in lamps that could be damaged by kids. THat's one good reason why traditional bulbs shouldn't be outlawed. Free citizens should be able to make their own choices, without the federal government interfering. They should be free to use traditional bulbs where they're best, and I should be free to choose CFL bulbs when & where I like them. The other reason why they shouldn't be outlawed is because the government, especially the federal government, has no business interfering. I support Rep. Westrom's efforts, and I also think that the question of freedom and the question of the pros & cons of CFL bulbs are two different questions. After all, CFL bulbs are more likely to improve in time if they have to compete with traditional bulbs in the free market.

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Kay P.
03/19/2010 10:45 PM

For general lighting, in the house, I don't mind the CFL bulbs, however, I do not like them for task lighting at all. When I work with colors I don't like how they look, and my eyes detects a slight flicker that causes eyestrain, and headaches if I am doing any close work. Because they contain mercury, I do not put them in any lamps, where my kids could easily break them. Any tiny particles that don't get cleaned out of the carpet, can be sucked up by the vaccum, and mercury can be launched airborne. They also suck in any outdoor application...they take forever to warm up enough to put out decent light, do not work in traditional dimmer switch situations or with clip on lampshades. I find that they don't last as long in places where the light is turned on and off repeatedly. The ones I put in the bathroom, just don't last as long as the ones I put in the fixture over my sink in the kitchen, which is the light I leave on most of the evening, until I go to bed. If they want this to be a good thing, they really need to set up community dropboxes where people can recycle them. They definitely should not be thrown in the regular trash.

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Amos A.
Garfield, MN     03/19/2010 4:50 PM

I tried to find a fluorescent bulb to use in the fixture lighting my flag. First, the base of the fluorescent wouldn't fit in the socket of the fixture. Second, as Lee said, fluorescents have a nasty habit of not wanting to light in sub-zero temperatures.

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b.a. c.
03/19/2010 4:47 PM

I will say that I just don't care for the 'cold' light those bulbs put out.

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MarVella P.
03/19/2010 12:50 PM

I agree - I tried a 3-way and it doesn't work very well in my lamps if at all. Too much government interference is not good.

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