

Texas Aglow with Effort to Save the Incandescent Bulb - chopsueyar
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-adv-texas-light-bulbs-20110710,0,4858840.story

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jaysonelliot
"Supporters of the new rules, who say the fluorescent lights save money and
reduce energy demand, don't understand the fuss."

This quote is a prime example of the problem. A group of well-meaning people
decide to make other people's lives "better" by deciding what's best for them,
and ignore personal choice because they "don't understand the fuss."

There are many places we could be looking to regulate in order to improve
energy efficiency, but the most politically expedient at the time was light
bulbs, presumably because lobbyists would have fought harder against things
like shutting down coal plants, making autos more efficient, etc.

People like their light bulbs. The quality of light in a room is important--it
is one of the single most important elements of how a room looks and feels--
yet anyone who points out that CFLs, LEDs, and other high-priced alternatives
to the incandescent bulb are harsh and unpleasant stands to be dismissed by
supporters of this new law.

CFLs have failed to dominate the marketplace on their own, so they're being
mandated, and now we're seeing rebellion as the deadline draws near.

When it comes to promoting behaviors in a society, carrots work better than
sticks. I would love to see some kind of X-Prize for improving our energy
consumption, and real market solutions that would be welcomed by consumers.

Forcing people to change the way their private, personal homes look, and then
dismissing their concerns with "what's the big deal?" is absolutely absurd.

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toddmorey
I'm very torn on this. I do think it should be on our national agenda to
produce and consume energy as efficiently as possible. That said, CF are not
exactly a drop-in replacement for incandescents. They make a humming sound
that's hard on my ears, and I've yet to find one that really gives off proper
warm light. In short, I want to participate (even before I have to) but the
technology is not quite there yet. Here's hoping for the newer LED
technologies.

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chopsueyar
You can still use halogens.

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jaysonelliot
Halogen light doesn't look like real incandescent light, and it's a major fire
hazard.

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chopsueyar
What does 'real incandescent light' look like?

Actually halogen is incandescent, too. It is white.

Fire risks are the same.

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jaysonelliot
A standard incandescent bulb operates at about 260 degrees F. A halogen bulb
can reach temperatures of up to 970 degrees F.

If a flammable material comes in contact with a halogen lamp, you're facing a
much higher fire risk.

There's a reason some companies and college campuses have banned halogens for
safety purposes: <http://reslife.tamu.edu/safety/halogen.asp>

