Anyone hoarding light bulbs?

[moonrambler]

With the U.S. legislating light bulbs now, we're apparently not going to be able to get 100-watt incandescent bulbs after the end of this year, and the rest will be phased out. I've been thinking I should stockpile some light bulbs. I heard on NPR the other day that the government still doesn't know what to do about all this, as about 70 percent of people seem to have outright rejected the compact fluorescent bulb, and numerous landfill/recycling centers won't accept them due to mercury content.

[russianrocket]

you could always go for one of those fancy smancy forever bulbs.

[ChrisGinsburg]

I can't honestly say light bulbs have even remotely enough significance in my life to even contemplate hording them or follow legislation about them.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

I can't honestly say light bulbs have even remotely enough significance in my life to even contemplate hording them or follow legislation about them.

So you don't use light bulbs?

[VinceG]

I don't think it's that, moonrambler, it's just that who thinks they're just going to stop selling incandescent light bulbs, altogether? You yourself said they were discontinuing 100 watt light bulbs. Well, there's still 75 watt bulbs which work fine. They might be a little dimmer, but so what?

[SnerpGoodWord]

I'll probably buy a costco case of them and set them in the basement. I don't know if that qualifies as "hording" but I think the incandescent bulb is an all-around superior product to florescent (or LED), and I intend to keep on using them. They will also be a useful point of commentary come the 2012 elections, and it will be nice to have some on hand.

[MariconesUnited]

Light bulbs. Plastic bags. Ugh.

I think these issues address the question "What is the least we could do, collectively, to make ourselves feel better about ourselves?"

It's a big sham. We're avoiding the biggest offenders and polluters. The transportation and meat industry are the two biggest offenders in greenhouse gas emissions so why aren't we focusing our efforts on these industries? And why are we "promoting" electric cars and hybrids when we can make cars run on salt water? Meanwhile our collective release of greenhouse gases is increasing.

Better to charge people 5 cents per paperbag. Easier anyway. As usual, the little guy gets screwed in the process.

[Criseyde]

We already buy the energy efficient ones (LED, I guess?) so nope.

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by VinceG

I don't think it's that, moonrambler, it's just that who thinks they're just going to stop selling incandescent light bulbs, altogether?

I'm pretty sure that's the plan, actually. Incandescent bulbs are supposed to be phased out by 2014.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by VinceG

I don't think it's that, moonrambler, it's just that who thinks they're just going to stop selling incandescent light bulbs, altogether? You yourself said they were discontinuing 100 watt light bulbs. Well, there's still 75 watt bulbs which work fine. They might be a little dimmer, but so what?

They signed the damn thing into law, that incandescent light bulbs can't be sold in the US after January 2014. I don't know when the elimination of 75-watt bulbs happens. I imagine it's next year.

Working here at my desk at night, there's a big difference between 100 watt and 75 watt, and once the 75 watt is gone, then what? I suppose I could put up two desk lamps with 60-watt bulbs.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by SnerpGoodWord

I'll probably buy a costco case of them and set them in the basement. I don't know if that qualifies as "hording" but I think the incandescent bulb is an all-around superior product to florescent (or LED), and I intend to keep on using them. They will also be a useful point of commentary come the 2012 elections, and it will be nice to have some on hand.

I have no experience with LED, but I'm hearing that's what they expect may be used rather than the fluorescents, which hardly anyone is buying.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by MariconesUnited

I think these issues address the question "What is the least we could do, collectively, to make ourselves feel better about ourselves?"

Yeah. Legislating light bulbs. It's beyond my understanding. Residences are supposed to change to lower-energy light bulbs and in the meantime, we've got Vegas lit up like a solar flare 24/7.

[SnerpGoodWord]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

I have no experience with LED, but I'm hearing that's what they expect may be used rather than the fluorescents, which hardly anyone is buying.

I think 10-15 years from now LED may be the winning technology. They're highly efficient, but the spectrum is eye-meltingly wrong and the cost is still way out there. For better or worse our eyes are built for sunlight and don't cope well with overly blue "white" light.

[Mariana Trench]

Originally Posted by MariconesUnited

Light bulbs. Plastic bags. Ugh.

I think these issues address the question "What is the least we could do, collectively, to make ourselves feel better about ourselves?"

It's a big sham. We're avoiding the biggest offenders and polluters. The transportation and meat industry are the two biggest offenders in greenhouse gas emissions so why aren't we focusing our efforts on these industries? And why are we "promoting" electric cars and hybrids when we can make cars run on salt water? Meanwhile our collective release of greenhouse gases is increasing.

Better to charge people 5 cents per paperbag. Easier anyway. As usual, the little guy gets screwed in the process.

QFT. What is up with this administration? It's as if they're motto is, "We won't fight hard enough to get anything we said we stood for passed, so we'll 'compromise' and pass something practically useless that no one really wants."

CFL's are a health and environmental hazard in themselves (who thought mercury in an easily-breakable household appliance was a good idea?). LEDs are very good, in my experience, though. I think I paid 20 dollars two years ago for a warm white bulb, which is not hard on the eyes, and haven't had any problems with it. They're still more expensive per bulb than incandescent but with a 20-50 year lifespan they shouldn't be more expensive long term.

[CoolBee]

Here's an alternative

Isang Litrong Liwanag ADVERTISEMENT - YouTube

solar bottle bulb.

[farmerjaneusa]

They're going to do what they want. I'm not going to hoard them. I suspect some smart folks with start making high quality incandescents and providing them to friends and family.

Fluorescent bulbs are bad news.

Health Effects - Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Health Effects - Compact Fluorescent Bulbs - YouTube

The LEDs are good for some purposes, but they are expensive, and the light is harsh from what I've seen and they just don't fit all lighting scenarios.

It's all a scam. I remember when I watched TV and I'd see commercials and "news stories" about being "responsible" and replacing your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs... they never said... when your bulb dies... people I knew were actually throwing away their incandescents even though they still worked. I just shook my head at the sheople and kept my mouth shut.

The sick thing is they purposely altered incandescent bulbs to die after a certain period of time so that they could sell more bulbs. They can last years longer and aren't as harmful as fluorescent bulbs.

Planned Obsolescence Conspiracy Planned Obsolescence Conspiracy - YouTube

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by Mariana Trench

QFT. What is up with this administration? It's as if they're motto is, "We won't fight hard enough to get anything we said we stood for passed, so we'll 'compromise' and pass something practically useless that no one really wants."

Actually, it was passed under Bush.

Also, the energy savings are perhaps negligible for a household but nothing to sneeze at for an entire country. Reducing greenhouse emissions by 9% is worth it. The effects of greenhouse emissions do have a tipping point, so we should save wherever we can while we're waiting for the big things to change.

Also also -- and I know this isn't you, Mariana, but it's something I want to get off my chest -- it's really easy to sit around and not make any changes while you wait for someone to legislate something that will "really" matter. We all know that out of everything we do, the way meat is produced is having the largest effect on the environment. (That's why many of us have become vegetarians, myself included -- it was the best thing I could think of to help the planet.) However, if there are other relatively easy things to do, like not driving an SUV when I don't need one and using energy efficient light bulbs, why not do them? Why foist the responsibility onto the government/the meat industry? One important way to create change is to demonstrate that we're actually willing to practice what we preach.

[MariconesUnited]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

Actually, it was passed under Bush.

Also, the energy savings are perhaps negligible for a household but nothing to sneeze at for an entire country. Reducing greenhouse emissions by 9% is worth it. The effects of greenhouse emissions do have a tipping point, so we should save wherever we can while we're waiting for the big things to change.

Also also -- and I know this isn't you, Mariana, but it's something I want to get off my chest -- it's really easy to sit around and not make any changes while you wait for someone to legislate something that will "really" matter. We all know that out of everything we do, the way meat is produced is having the largest effect on the environment. (That's why many of us have become vegetarians, myself included -- it was the best thing I could think of to help the planet.) However, if there are other relatively easy things to do, like not driving an SUV when I don't need one and using energy efficient light bulbs, why not do them? Why foist the responsibility onto the government/the meat industry? One important way to create change is to demonstrate that we're actually willing to practice what we preach.

Politics yuck

I was making a general comment when I formulated my question. I think it's a widespread problem that extends much further than the US or its succeeding administrations. I don't think we're doing enough. I get the feeling we like to feel good about ourselves.

I agree with your point about doing whatever you can as an individual. But there's only so much a single person can do. I believe that I am doing all that I realistically can or close to it. Yet those greenhouse gas emissions keep going up. My point is that the ones who can make a massive difference, the oil, automotive and meat industries (the biggest culprits) refuse to do so, and we're not doing enough to force them to do it. Instead we're trading CO2 for mercury. Where did you get that 9% figure? What percentage of households worldwide would have to switch in order to get to that figure? How realistic is it? Consider for a second that we grow some balls and legislate corporate emissions at the UN level. How much could we do then? Then again...How realistic is that?

[Criseyde]

Originally Posted by MariconesUnited

Politics yuck

I was making a general comment when I formulated my question. I think it's a widespread problem that extends much further than the US or its succeeding administrations. I don't think we're doing enough. I get the feeling we like to feel good about ourselves.

I agree with your point about doing whatever you can as an individual. But there's only so much a single person can do. I believe that I am doing all that I realistically can or close to it. Yet those greenhouse gas emissions keep going up. My point is that the ones who can make a massive difference, the oil, automotive and meat industries (the biggest culprits) refuse to do so, and we're not doing enough to force them to do it. Instead we're trading CO2 for mercury. Where did you get that 9% figure? What percentage of households worldwide would have to switch in order to get to that figure? How realistic is it? Consider for a second that we grow some balls and legislate corporate emissions at the UN level. How much could we do then? Then again...How realistic is that?

Energy Savers: Frequently Asked Questions: Lighting Choices to Save You Money

Today light bulbs, tomorrow factory farms. Maybe. We can hope.

[garentee]

Originally Posted by Criseyde

Energy Savers: Frequently Asked Questions: Lighting Choices to Save You Money

Today light bulbs, tomorrow factory farms. Maybe. We can hope.

Not to derail, BUT.... Factory farms will be the norm until there are enough people who are willing to sacrifice a whole lot to become farmers..But before that happens the entire system needs to change so that it is not a vow of poverty to be a farmer...and that it is not so difficult to buy a farm etc... having farmed on my own for the past 13 years and with others for 4 years before that nothing has really changed that makes farming a lucrative career choice..which unfortunately scares a LOT of people away..its a great lifestyle if you are a dedicated self starter and can handle extreme economic pressure as well as constant physical exertion...Other then that the deck is stacked high against the small scale farmer because the special interests support large scale agriculture..and throw the small growers under the bus...Nearly everything in the farm bill is geared to the agribusinesses..
Derail finished..
I am not going to horde any light bulbs.. I do not care for bright light particularly..

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

So you don't use light bulbs?

Of course I do. I also use the big light in the sky. There happens to be plenty of things to occupy my mind needlessly without worrying about what particular brand of light bulb will be in my light socket in 2014 though. To each his own I guess though.

[NoJobRob]

Originally Posted by SnerpGoodWord

I think 10-15 years from now LED may be the winning technology. They're highly efficient, but the spectrum is eye-meltingly wrong and the cost is still way out there. For better or worse our eyes are built for sunlight and don't cope well with overly blue "white" light.

I have an LED flashlight and it's awesome. It's very energy efficient too. I've had the same batteries in it for 3 years now and it still lights up like it did the day I bought it. It gets used quite a bit too since this island seems to have issues with the power going out all the time.

[James Fletcher]

I use halogen.

[Sonnenblume]

I also use halogen. We in the EU were a bit quicker with this legislation, 60 W bulbs were phased out at the beginning of September.

The compact fluorescent bulb has a terrible light, it's completely unnatural if you look at the light spectrum it emits.

[Rezzy7]

There's no reason to hoard lightbulbs!!

The standard incandescent lightbulbs we've been using since they were invented are insanely inefficient! 90% of the energy of an incandescent bulb is wasted as heat, rather than light.

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are better, but fail in many ways, as others have pointed out. But I think they're popular enough that it's not accurate to say nobody buys them. Nearly everyone I know uses them. By 2006 I had replaced almost every tungsten bulb in my home with CFLs just because of the energy difference.

The big winner is LEDs. They are bright, efficient, produce very little heat, they're extremely durable, and because the tech is improving they produce a wide range of colors, and color temperatures, including mimicking the beloved yellow-orange color of tungsten bulbs. In time the prices will come down.

The tungsten bulb is out, and as far as I'm concerned, good riddance!

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by Rezzy7

The standard incandescent lightbulbs we've been using since they were invented are insanely inefficient! 90% of the energy of an incandescent bulb is wasted as heat, rather than light.

I appreciate that heat, personally

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are better, but fail in many ways, as others have pointed out. But I think they're popular enough that it's not accurate to say nobody buys them. Nearly everyone I know uses them. By 2006 I had replaced almost every tungsten bulb in my home with CFLs just because of the energy difference.

Wherever NPR got their figures from, only 30 percent of people say they are even willing to consider using CFLs. So they aren't even a little bit popular. They've been an immense failure, actually.

After reading through this thread and some info from my electric cooperative, I think I might be willing to give the halogen bulbs a try.

[Rezzy7]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

I appreciate that heat, personally

Yes, in a colder climate that is ok. Here in winter I'm not so bothered, but between lights, my computer and monitor, and me, the room gets waaaay hot in the summer. Mostly for me, the less heat from lights the better. Besides, it's still wasting energy.

Wherever NPR got their figures from, only 30 percent of people say they are even willing to consider using CFLs. So they aren't even a little bit popular. They've been an immense failure, actually.

This could be true. I'm not a good fact checker, other than via personal observation.

I think halogen lights get hotter than incandescents do, so that may be your go-to bulb for a while.

[newmark]

I've bought some and will buy a few more when they are closer to disappearing. I have some problems with my eyes, and the incandescent bulbs are the most comfortable for me. Others hurt my eyes more, even the ones that aren't supposed to.

[votoshka]

WAAAAH... I wish I'd had the foresight to stock up on incandescent bulbs before they were all removed here... I had to get rid of my touch lamp because when the bulb died it no longer worked with the "New and stupid" bulbs that cost a heap more.

At the time I didn't even really notice the phase out (guess I wasn't paying attention lol) until I actually needed incandescent bulbs and realised you couldn't get them at all anymore (think they were phased out here by 2010).

To be fair, I usually don't mind the others too much... but there are some lights you can't use them with, and I also hate how they say they'll last longer, but many don't .