Texas Tells Feds: Shove Your Light Bulb Ban

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I personally don't like the new fangled bulbs. The plain old incandescent bulbs are easier on my eyes and I like the light they give off. I don't quite understand how the government can ban them. I may have to outsource the purchase of light bulbs to Chandos

Spoiler

State lawmakers have passed a bill that allows Texans to skirt federal efforts to promote more efficient light bulbs, which ultimately pushes the swirled, compact fluorescent bulbs over the 100-watt incandescent bulbs many grew up with.

The measure, sent to Gov. Rick Perry for consideration, lets any incandescent light bulb manufactured in Texas - and sold in that state - avoid the authority of the federal government or the repeal of the 2007 energy independence act that starts phasing out some incandescent light bulbs next year.

"Let there be light," state Rep. George Lavender, R-Texarkana, wrote on Facebook after the bill passed. "It will allow the continued manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs in Texas, even after the federal ban goes into effect. ... It's a good day for Texas."

The Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York-based environmental group, is calling on Perry to veto the bill.


Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2...-feds-shove-your-light-bulb-ban#ixzz1PvFynOqs

 

Funny, here most people saw that the new bulbs are more economical and that settled it. Concerns were coming from environmentalists who noted the use of mercury in the manufacture of the bulbs.

That said, I am old fashioned, and like incandescents better as well. Warmer light.

 

Maybe the newer CFL's I buy are improved technology over the ones that were first introduced, but I see no meaningful difference in light quality whatsoever, and they light up immediately (older kinds would take about half a second to illuminate). In fact, my CFL's are brighter than the incandescents. We're phasing out old light bulbs with new in my home, replacing them when the old ones burn out - in one case, two identical lamps in my home have one of each kind of bulb, and you can see the difference. Yes, the light they give off is "different" - but it's a small difference that you get used to quickly.

To me they're a no-brainer. CFLs use about 1/5 of the energy and last several times longer than an incandescent bulb. Especially in urban areas where power consumption is a constant struggle, phasing out incandescents completely just strikes me as common sense. They're an inferior technology and are worse for the environment to boot. I say incandescents should go the way of aerosol spray cans. Ban away.

 

Most of the major lightbulb producing companies are going to continue to sell incadescent bulbs anyway - the law that is being referred to required them to become 25% more energy efficient, and Sylvania has already announced that they will meet that new requirement.

Regardless, if you really like the older bulbs better - stock up now - you could probably buy several hundred incadescent light bulbs for around $50 - a virtual life time supply. And that's assuming that they stop manufacturing them, and it looks like that isn't going to happen anyway. The point being, there's no law preventing the USE of the older bulbs, just the sale of them. So if you have a war chest of several hundred bulbs in your basement, you can keep right on using them as long as you like.

I don't really have a preference in terms of lighting quality, and I will buy the new bulbs, but it's not like I'm throwing away the ones I already have.

 

Of course. Texas is a major energy producing state. The more energy people use, the richer Texas gets. If the price of oil was suddenly $40.00 a barrel again, the economy in Texas would completely crater, just like it did n the 1980s. But that won't happen anytime soon.

The rest of the country can pay, so that Texas can stay rich. Good deal for those of us who live here. *

*note that is sarcasm.

 

What are those "federal efforts to promote more efficient light bulbs", exactly?

 

While technically difficult with CFLs, you don't even have to compromise the color temperature with LED lights anymore as they can be made in just about any color you like.

But THAT can't work as you'll have two specs to look for instead of just one. Just think of all the divorces that will be caused when your darling comes home with a nice 4500K daylight bulb instead of the 2300K old-skool-colored bulb that you really wanted by forgot to specify!