Light bulbs get Congressional reprieve
Good news for survivalists and others who’ve been hoarding incandescent light bulbs — Congress has given the 19th Century technology at least one more year of shelf life.
Let there be cheap light, said Thomas Edison, who perfected the production of the incandescent bulb more than 70 years after its invention.
Traditional light bulbs (the kind featured over a cartoon character’s head when he gets an idea) were marked for extinction via a 2007 law that banned their manufacture and sale after Jan. 1, 2012. Congress’ light bulb reprieve was tucked into a 1,200-page omnibus spending bill passed by Congress Thursday night.
This was odd legislation considering the replacement technology, compact fluorescent lamps, while much cheaper to operate, are far more expensive and contain chemicals toxic to humans.
I personally like CFLs, but many hate them, saying the light they produce is too unnatural or even gives them headaches.
But, the CFL on my porch has been on non-stop for at least two years.
Newer technology, LED lightbulbs, are even more expensive, but are even cheaper to operate and provide better light. I have a 12-watt led lightbulb that retails for about $25, but is supposed to last years and save enough energy to eventually pay for itself. It provides the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent, but takes a disconcerting half-second to light my bathroom.
Since many manufacturers have quit making the uber-cheap incandescent bulbs, their days are probably numbered no matter what Congress does next year. America’s last traditional light bulb plant closed last year, effectively shipping 200 jobs overseas.
Hmmmm … maybe making laws that dictate what consumers can and can’t buy in the Home Depot lighting aisle isn’t such a bright idea.
* Read more (@TheHill.com)
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75 comments Add your comment
Blackwatch
December 16th, 2011
2:10 pm
I thought Billy Mays died? Must be the new CFL technology that breathed life into his rotting corpse. Thank goodness for government!
willydoit?
December 16th, 2011
2:11 pm
Just build more coal fire power plants and we wouldn’t have to worry about conserving.
We have a 500 year supply of coal in this country and we have idiots that want us to detechnicalize ourselves.
Truth Squad
December 16th, 2011
2:15 pm
And people wonder why the Congress is so dysfunctional. They are sent there by people who cannot even accept a minimal change such as light bulbs. At this rate, I guess the country will finally get around to updating our infrastructure by the end of the century.
Moi
December 16th, 2011
2:18 pm
I hate the CFL’s. The light is horribly bright and I DO get headaches from them. Plus, why do we have to go to 50 places to recycle things? Now don’t get me wrong, I fully utilize the recycling service offered by my trash service, so don’t accuse me of being a Ninny Nelly for not recycling. But c’mon, I work ten hours a day and don’t have time to traverse the countryside on my ONE weekend day off to recycle everything under the sun. Here’s a thought…how about making it EASIER for us to recycle and most of us would be happy to do so. I am all for saving the planet and all that fallderall. Oh, and I don’t make a ton of money so don’t expect me to pay $25 for a bulb that may or may not pay for itself in it’s lifetime. I can get regular old lightbulbs for super cheap and they last quite a long time and DON’T cost me a fortune to light. When technology catches up with the regular folks, we’ll pay more attention and a few more dollars for what they’re offering.
Wes
December 16th, 2011
2:20 pm
So my lava lamp requires a 40 watt incandescent light blub, the CFL bulbs do not fit into the lava lamp. Will the government be providing so sort of replacement lava-lamp to me since they will soon not allowing me to purchase the correct bulbs.
willydoit?
December 16th, 2011
2:22 pm
Conservation = Weak economy
A B Normal
December 16th, 2011
2:39 pm
Heard someone dropped and broke a pack of CFL’s in a NC WalMart and the mgr. on duty evacuated the store, called in the HazMat team and turned away every customer for 2 hrs. during clean up. Really?
LukasAtl
December 16th, 2011
2:44 pm
Help me out here, how does a light bulb where the switch is in the OFF position use any energy at all? Its really, really simple … exersise some now un-common sense, and save energy by TURNING OFF THE SWITCH.
Susan M
December 16th, 2011
2:53 pm
Thank goodness. I have bought CFL’s that burn out in less than a month. Very few of the ones I tried, really last as long, much less longer than incandescent bulbs. Now I’m stuck with nearly a dozen burn-out CFL’s that I can’t find a place to dispose of them at.
beerad
December 16th, 2011
2:55 pm
Can someone please show me any proof that our founding fathers said the government was to dictate what light bulbs this country is aloud to purchase and use. Hey guys have you noticed the government is bankrupt!!!!