Dim Bulbs
Filed Under: Green Politics on July 24, 2009
Michael Heberling points out some new problems that face us now that the federal government has banned the incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison, in use for the last century. By 2012, they must be replaced by more expensive “energy-efficient” compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.
“….the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency recommends that people be no closer than about a foot from these lights for more than an hour a day. The ultraviolet radiation emitted by CFLs is like direct sunlight on bare skin. Thus the government is mandating that we all have miniature sun lamps throughout our homes.”
The new bulbs also contain mercury. So what are we supposed to do when we have to dispose of the bulbs? Maine’s bureaucrats have a 14-point set of clean-up rules that include:
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the breakage. This will spread the mercury vapor.
- Ventilate the area by opening windows, and leave the area for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the larger pieces and place them in a secure closed container.
- Label the container as “universal waste.”
- Take the glass container with the waste material to a facility that accepts “universal waste” for recycling.
That is Maine’s current “toned down” clean-up rules after EPA bureaucrats first embarrassed themselves by initially telling a woman who broke a fluorescent bulb that she might have to hire a hazardous materials cleanup contractor.
Of course, minor risks with mercury might be worth it if the new bulbs were significantly more efficient, but they aren’t. Says Heberling:“The DOE guidelines for CFLs suggest that they be left on for at least 15 minutes after they are turned on… the lifespan of a CFL depends on how many times you turn it on and off. Failure to keep the light on causes the bulbs to burn out just as fast as the Edison bulbs. There go those big savings. So try to get in the habit of not turning off the lights after using the bathroom, a closet, or the laundry room. However, plan to come back 15 minutes later to turn off the light.”
“And while CFLs that are left on may last ten times longer than incandescent lights, no one is saying that they will fully perform for that long. A Department of Energy study found that after 40 percent of the advertised service life, a quarter of the CFLs started to become dim bulbs. If you don’t mind having dim bulbs for 60 percent of the service life, then CFLs should make you happy.”
We do have options:
“The first is to go out and buy up all the old-fashioned Edison bulbs before they become illegal. The second option is to try to get a family discount on hazmat suits. The final option is to just say no to dim bulbs.”
Saying “no” probably won’t help. Once the federal regulating behemoth makes rules, it rarely repeals them.
