Light
the Ballot
To Prevent
Dim Bulb
Legislation.
Recently, Brian Williams of NBC News published a story about the banning of regular or incandescent light bulbs. Only fluorescent bulbs will be available in the near future.
If this has been done by congressional mandate, Congress may soon face a people's mandate to undo this new law.
Energy efficiency purportedly is the reason fluorescent bulbs have been promoted as the light bulb of choice. Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFLs are soon to replace traditional incandescent bulbs.
However, there are serious problems with this plan.
First, fluorescent bulbs are extremely expensive. A Virginia dollar store prices the low wattage 14-watt spiral CFL bulb, the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, at $4.00 each. $4 could buy at least 4 and probably 8 brand name 60-watt incandescent bulbs at many discount stores. $4 could buy 8-12 generic 60-watt incandscent bulbs. What you might loose over 1,000 or more hours of lighting with an incandescent bulb, you loose up front with the purchase of 1 14-watt spiral CFL.
Second, fluorescent bulbs emit a very odoriferous mercury gas when the bulbs 'explode' at burn out. If this has ever happened to you in the winter time in a heated rental with no openable or hard to open windows you will understand the inconvenience of a burned-out fluorescent bulb. Once you figure out where that terrible smell is coming from, you will never want to replace a CFL in that lamp again. Thankfully, there is a smell with CFL mercury gas poisoning.
Third, fluorescent bulbs, because of the mercury component, must be disposed of in specific locations, like the 'fluorescent bulb box' at your local home remodeling store. 'Home Depot' during fluorescent promotions had the proper disposal box and a plan for emptying the disposal box. 'Lowe's' and other home remodeling and hardware stores also may have disposal boxes and plans.
But because there is a cost, such disposal bins may result in higher prices to the consumer. As more and more bulbs are purchased, of course, more and more bulbs must be disposed of. This undoubtedly will create a mercury hazardous waste problem in the near future.
Fourth, fluorescent bulbs are not the best reading lights. At the lower, more affordable 14- and 23-watt bulb range, spiral CFLs can light a room one walks through, but do not provide enough light to read a newspaper. If you compare a fluorescent with an incandescent for reading, it is easy to understand why the fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times as long as incandescents.
As for the argument that fluorescent bulbs are used in schools: there are many long fluorescent bulbs in long fixtures used in ceiling lighting for large rooms. Students listen to teachers lecture and look at large writing on blackboards rather than read books at their tables or desks for most hours of the school day.
'Penny-wise, pound-foolish' may be the best way to describe the dim light legislation substituting the expensive, 'energy efficient' fluorescent for the reliable, truly affordable incandescent bulb. When can this legislation be repealed? And how soon can the incandescent bulb industry return incandescent bulbs to store shelves?
Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs on 'Caveat Emptor' and 'More Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware' (Blogs 1-10) at http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com and (Blog 11 and on) at http://monthlynotes16.blogspot.com on www.google.com.
Graphic: Ballot from World Book Encyclopedia, Chicago, IL, 2003.
