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Ban the incandescent light bulb.

news.bbc.co.uk — The traditional light bulb is a wasteful relic of the past. It's past time for them to be phased out in favor of more efficient and, in the long run cheaper lighting methods.

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  • johndi, on 10/12/2007, -32/+4Ignore, operator error.
  • radu79, on 10/12/2007, -8/+11The incandescent lightbulbs do have some use.
    While most of my house is illuminated by fluorescent lights, one fluorescent lighbulb in the kitchen had this nasty habbit of killing my WIRED DSL connection every time it was turned on. So I had to replace it with an incandescent one.
    • The_Decryptor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Then you have a problem with your wiring, because turning a light on shouldn't interfere with your phone line.

      I have two close to my DSL modem, and it's running fine.
    • OrangeTide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6when I was a developer for a DSL company we had notorious problems with those halogen dimmer lamps. Full on the DSL would be fine, do any dimming with the lamp and DSL would get gobs of signal problems.
    • boredzo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The starter on a fluorescent light can draw a huge amount of power for a brief amount of time - maybe long enough to knock out a sensitive router.
    • rageguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10@OrangeTide

      You raise an excellent point actually. Have people seen what you have to do to dim a fluro? Wikipedia pulse width modulation for power delivery, its hardly surprising that a dimed fluro causes problems considering whats happening behind the scenes.
      Dimming an incandescent bulb is simple and electric noise free.

      Now don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a greater push towards fluros and leds, but banning the incandescent would be short sighted and create so many more problems than it would solve, sure there be less energy usage, but everyone would have to put more energy into work arounds which can only mean bad things for the greater whole.

      Plus LEDs and fluros tend to have poor colour rendering indexes, I'd hate to be an artist doing colour selection with a 80% CRI, there are just so many gaps that the alternatives have yet to fill, and while I'm sure you could replace an extremely large proportion of house hold lighting with no ill effect, but a blanket ban would make me sad. What will everyone else do?

      Now excuse me, I need to go get an incandescent operaters license which the government will sell me for $80 :-/
    • donatj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Floressent bulbs don't work with motion detectors, I have floressent through most of my house, because I'm cheep, but I need incandesent for my motion detectors
    • danco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Fluorescent lights do cause problems with phone lines. They emit more EM interference than incandescent bulbs do. This interference causes problems with the phone line, not the network hardware. In some houses, fluorescent lights can cause major static on phone lines that can kill DSL or dial-up. They can also interfere with other devices such as sound systems.

      Fluorescent bulbs also cost more in an environment where lights get turned on for short periods of time, like in a bathroom. Incandescents are actually more efficient if the light gets turned on and off quickly.

      Fluorescent bulbs are also less pleasing to the eye. Their light is harsher and wash out colors. At work, I specifically leave off my overhead fluorescent light in favor for a halogen lamp and an incandescent lamp on my desk. Otherwise, my eyes get assaulted with the horrible fluorescent light all day long. No thanks.
  • Slipdisc, on 10/12/2007, -46/+4dupe! http://digg.com/technology/Ban_the_incandescent_light_bulbs

    lol
  • Odiumjunkie, on 10/12/2007, -13/+30The only problem is, CFL lightbulbs creat a horrible, harsh, inhospitable light. If someone introduced a CFL lightbulb that produced light in the same spectra and with the same tonal qualities of an incandescent bulb, they would be a much more viable option.
    • Darrelc, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18That's not true. nearly every light in my house is an energy saving one, We have'nt had to replace one yet (as of roughly 3 years) and I couldn't tell any discernable difference. Except the electricity bill being lower than before.

      -Darrel.
    • johndi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10CFL bulbs have improved greatly in the last few years. The old ones sucked very much badly! The cheap ones still do. Try looking for a bulb with a color temperature of 2700 K.

      There are also LED bulbs if they are more to your liking. They last even longer than CFL bulbs. I've haven't tried them. I'm sure someone here has, and can tell you what to look for in an LED bulb.
    • bristolz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Ever priced an LED bulb that actually puts out enough light to realistically replace an incandescent? You'd have to run it for a heck of a lot of years to break even. Sure, there's low-output LED Edison screw base bulbs but they put out very little light.

      http://www.hollysolar.com/html/acled1.html#AC144 -- Replacements for 75W incandescents and others. Hopefully the prices will eventually fall.

      http://www.superbrightleds.com/edison.html - Low output replacements. Much cheaper but also a lot less practical.
    • sersdf, on 10/12/2007, -15/+13i agree with odiumjunkie. at my parent's home, all the bulbs have been replaced with the new-fangled energy-saving ones. but i insist they leave incandescents in my room (as are the ones in my apartment here) because the energy efficient ones just are too bland, cold and hospital-like. i need the warmth and color of the traditional bulbs. and i'm even a big fan of the environment...
    • icefrakker, on 10/12/2007, -22/+12lol you still keep your room in your parent's house. lol how sweet.
    • rm999, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I agree - I bought a few recently and I can tell a difference. Flourescent lights just seem colder to me.
    • koshak, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6There are also CFL lights that have a "cover" to them. You screw it on and it basically makes it look like a regular old light bulb. They cost more, and IMO are unnecessary. Seriously...how many lights tdo you have in your house that are not covered with a lampshare, or a forsted glass fixture or whatever?

      I've replaced every bulb in my apartment with CFLs, and saving 2 kwh per day over the same periods a year ago. (Not a lot, but it is not a big apartment either.) And absolutely no one can tell the difference.
    • agdtinman, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6I totally agree. When I moved in my apartment was filled with CFLs. I couldn't stand the light quality. I actually replaced them all with Reveal's, and it made the whole place more hospitable (not like a hospital).
    • The_Decryptor, on 10/12/2007, -12/+7you know they have different temperatures, right?

      Higher you go, the "warmer" they are, and they have a blue tinge (e.g. hospital lighting), lower you go, the cooler they are, and they have a yellow tinge (e.g. like a normal light bulb) which, btw is different than what they are marked, cool ones are marked as warm, warm ones are marked as cool

      I have two over my computer desk that are cool ones, same colour as normal light bulbs (annoys me, as they make reading and such harder, the warmer they are, the higher contrast you get, makes reading easier)
    • goodoldharris, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16You got it backwards - the blue tinge is "cold". The yellow tinge is "warm".
    • prockcore, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Only with reflective colors is blue considered "cool". When talking about color temperature, blue is hotter than red (literally).
    • JulianMorrison, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10I lived for awhile by artificial light - a night shift employee. Bulbs were my sunlight. A casual glance doesn't show the difference, but an experienced eye can see - and it's a difference that matters. Spread spectrum light is the difference between feeling homely and feeling oppressed. CFL light has little blue, red, purple, green. Colors look washed out and oddly distorted. Worse, a failing CFL gets progressively more limited in spectrum while still appearing to "work" - the eye can accomodate odd colour temperature, but the emotions can't.

      The truth is that incandescent light is the last vestige of firelight, one of the 3 natural spectra to which long evolution has accustomed us. CFLs aren't yet up to replacing it.
    • boredzo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5To the people burying prockcore's comment:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature
      "White light" is commonly described by its color temperature. A traditional incandescent light source's color temperature is determined by comparing its hue with a theoretical, heated [[black-body radiator]].

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_body
      Black bodies below around 700 K produce very little radiation at visible wavelengths and appear black. Black bodies above this temperature however, start to produce radiation at visible wavelengths starting at red, going through orange, yellow and white before ending up at blue as the temperature increases.
    • mementh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3hey have made a better bulb.. it gives off a white light and its wonderfull

      i had the old style which makes a "yellow" light.. this change makes it hard for me to go to bed since i think its daytime still lol

      also i noticed the walmart i work at has replaced all its old style bulbs for new style incandecents
    • spyres, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Nah, That's *****. I use them throughout our house and the quality of their light is no more harsh than the incandescents they replaced.
    • Angostura, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Not any more; you can get low energy bulbs in a variety of soft-colour tones in any DIY superstore over here. The *only* reason I still have incandescence lamps in the house is where I need dimmables.
    • vhold, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Yup, I've seen this. Some friends of mine were convinced to replace all the lights in their house with some energy saving ones and the overall effect was just terrible. Trying to read a book or anything in such an environment felt totally headache inducing.
    • JohnboiWaltune, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I replaced a lot of the bulbs in my house with compact fluorescents, and I have to say the parent's post is correct. The color of the light is substantially different. I painted my walls a shade of yellow, and the CFL makes them look green. It is also bad light for reading or using the computer.

      CFLs are good for outdoor bulbs, and in closets, that's about it. I used to have a couple of 100W incandescents outside and I replaced them with 15W CFLs. They're just as bright and have lasted for 2 years so far.

      If anyone knows some good brands of CFLs that actually put out white light, let me know.
    • ShadowVlican, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yea, i wonder where can i purchase a fluorescent that emits light with the colour tempurature of the sun
    • nesagwa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I replaced a lot of the bulbs in my house with compact fluorescents, and I have to say the parent's post is correct. The color of the light is substantially different. I painted my walls a shade of yellow, and the CFL makes them look green. It is also bad light for reading or using the computer."

      If youve ever tried to film in a room full of fluorescent bulbs you can see this happen, everything turns green. Try filming the same thing in regular incandescent light and everything has a yellow tint.
    • gdrewpowers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As much energy as they might save, I just can't stand fluorescent bulbs. I need really bright lights (operating room bright) and they don't even come close. Because I can't put in flood lights or halogen (fire danger) I found that 100 watt reveal bulbs work really good. It has a slight blue tinge, but it's a lot makes everything look brighter.
    • OBKenobi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Put an orange filter around it and you'll get an incandescent tone. I'm surprised no one has done this yet.
  • Dradis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I bought CFL bulbs simply because I wouldn't have to change them for a really, really long time (Yes I am lazy). Since they save energy and money, everyone wins.
    • AeonTorpor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5No kidding there, I bought some when i moved into my house. The first one blew out because of a faulty socket and the second one just blew a couple of days ago. I moved into my house 4 years ago.
    • skatingrox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've had a CFL in my living room running for 5 years now.
  • dtfinch, on 10/12/2007, -8/+7Hurray for mercury vapors, saving the world from deadly pollution once again!
    • scbysnx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Theres been lots of discussion of this and the mercury in a CFL is dramatically less then the mercury released by a power plant under the extra wattage of an incandescent.
      • modernone, on 12/23/2007, -0/+0You have to add the impact of manufacture in China which uses mercury laden coal to produce the bub. Also have to consider the relatively poor handling of hazardous materials in China, mercury included, and you have to add the carbon impacts of shipping the materials to the factory and hauling them to the US on dirty container ships. People say less mercury than a watch battery but all batteries should be disposed of as hazardous material and we toss them into the landfills.
  • pairanoyd, on 10/12/2007, -8/+10I use all low wattage CF bulbs in my house. I like using a 15watt CFL lamp in most of the rooms of my house and only flip on a higher rated CFL like a 70w when I have to do something important like cleaning or fixing something. But for just sitting around doing nothing, 15watts is more than enough. Actually 10watts would be better..

    My complaint with them is that they are all loaded with crappy Chinese capacitors and every freaking one of them blows the caps in a few months. I have dozens of these lamps that are dead now because of crappy caps. I end up spending more on them that I would incandescent bulbs. What a rip off..
    MOST people would throw them in the trash but I plan to find a place to buy replacement caps in quantity and repair them myself because I know the tube is still good in them.

    I think they ought to outlaw low grade crap like that. Make it mandatory that CFL bulbs last like they are all rated on the packaging and not the 2-3 months that they actually do. No compliance? No import.

    It's way over due time that we adopt some strict laws about energy conservation and recycling. Screw that fat cat profiteers on Wall Street, if we don't start doing something NOW we'll reduce the planet to a toxic, burnt out cinder floating dead in space. And what will we do then? Soylent Green?? Move to another planet and repeat the process??



    • bobpaul, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7"My complaint with them is that they are all loaded with crappy Chinese capacitors and every freaking one of them blows the caps in a few months."

      What the hell are you talking about? Are you talking about Compact Fluorescent Lights like the one pictured in the article or some new-fangled LED based light or something? I put in all CFL lights 2 years ago (cheapest ones Walmart had) and have yet to replace any yet. I have all 15watt, but a 30watt (150 equiv) in the living room where I like it brighter.
    • koshak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I've had mine since last September. I would guess they are the cheapso since I got that at Sam's Club for $11 for an 8 pack of the 13 Watt ones, and $7 for a 4 pack of the 17 watt ones. And so far, all of them are still working fine. They've paid for themselves already in lower bills and quite frankly, I would have probably had at least one incandescent bulb blow on me in that time. So mine are lasting longer.

      P.S. Pretty naive to think that humans are going to destroy all life on the planet. We may destroy OUR lives on the planet, but we are not going to render the planet a dead cinder floating lifeless in space.
    • loup, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"They also are able to dim, which fluorescent bulbs don't do."

      There are specially made compact florescent lights that do actually dim with a regular dimmer switch, they tend to be a bit more expensive, a quick check at a brick and mortar near me says they're selling for $14 each

      er. replied to the wrong post
    • unknowndomain, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1It cant be a dead cylinder floating in space as the earth isn't a cylinder its a sphere and it wont kill off all life, just thought I'd point that little fact out.
    • vanillapod, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3He said 'cinder', not cylinder.

      cinder: fragments of cooled pyroclastic material lava, typically red or black in color, fragment of lava or rock

      cylinder: A Three dimensional shape with a parallel circle and each end and joined by a curved surface.

      /wordnazi
  • trafnar, on 10/12/2007, -13/+8if there truly are cheaper/better alternatives, the market will sort itself out and nobody will buy incandescent bulbs.

    no need for gov't regulatino
    • hobophobe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3That's assuming a free market. You have to admit, the true cost of incandescent bulbs isn't really represented by the price tag.
    • sorti, on 10/12/2007, -18/+8You people who pray at the alter of capitalism make me sick, money is your god and you think the market is the answer to everything, do you kill homeless people who might be in your area to raise the land values? Or perhaps you run red lights when you are late for a meeting because we can't regulate the capitalists with traffic lights when there is a deal to be made!

      We sometimes need regulations, like smoking bans and warning on cigarettes. Sometimes we need to state "Hey stupid stop putting this crap in your body and you are killing your self and other people!"

      Sometimes we need to do the right thing for NO reason other then it's it is the right thing to do! Do you tell your kids to cheat on their tests because they will get into better schools with better grades regardless of their true merits?

      No question who you voted for, Bush probably had you once he loaned you back your $300 as a fake tax cut.

      - Btw I use the lights for another reason I'm up late most of the time and the incandescents don't heat up and turn my place into a oven. I think the lights in my fridge & oven are the only lights I have not replaced.
    • nailbunny, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6The true cost of incandescent bulbs is in the power bill.

      Calling on the government to regulate something so minor makes the conservative in me cringe. Incandescent bulbs are needed for EZ bake ovens, for gods sake. They also are able to dim, which fluorescent bulbs don't do. Add the reasons that these people have, and you've got a sticky wicket for the government to ban.

      On the other hand, the initial cost of fluorescent bulbs relative to incandescents will scare off a great deal of buyers. Additionally, the mandate would certainly save a lot of energy. This appeals to the liberal in me.

      Both sides of me vote that we get lots more nuclear power plants before we start splitting hairs and messing with people's freedom to buy the ***** they want. Imagine what a ban on all fossil fuel power plants would do for emissions.

      Also, i can't tell if sorti is joking or not. Either way, his post is hilarious.
    • morganm, on 10/12/2007, -9/+9"Hey stupid stop putting this crap in your body and you are killing your self and other people!"

      Hey dumbass, it's my body, thanks, and if I do nothing to hurt someone else, you can suck it. If you think there is a way to decide FOR people how they should live, you are simply an idiot. There are a million behaviors that are both risky and fun, and the unpopular ones would just get outlawed, and people like you just sit back until it's something you enjoy. what you tell your children is your business. What you attempt to tell me to do by force of law is my business. Try a little light history reading before you vote again.

      The reason we don't kill bums or run red lights is that we live in a Republic, with laws to protect others from our own actions. I am not allowed to infringe on other people's rights just because I feel like it.

      And yes, I worship at the altar of Capitalism. No system in history has done more good for more people, both in self-determining their own futures, and in creating prosperity. If you look at the Index of Economic Freedom, you might catch a clue. The most well-off people in the world are the most free. And their countries are the cleanest. And they do the most to help the rest of the world. And they advance technology because there are incentives to do so.

      And back to the topic, I use incandescent bulbs almost exclusively. I don't like my heaters, and the bulbs take the edge off. Enjoy your fluorescent strobe and your migraines, but leave me the hell alone.
    • crbaker, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6Your assuming the market has perfect information. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_information
    • nailbunny, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4You assume free market adherants assume the system is perfect, crbaker. We're all impressed of the term you learned. Back to topic, please.
  • stark23x, on 10/12/2007, -7/+8CFL bulbs can't be the ultimate soluton. Many people with seizure disorders can't use them.
    • bristolz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9A 400 cycle ballast will fix that (and make them dimmable, too). But, then, there needs to be a 400 cycle CFL on the market.
  • jadewolf, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2When they come out with a 1kw dimmable LED light then we'll talk, in the mean time, incadescents are here to stay for the majority of the industrialized world . . . . perhaps in the home, but when you need light, you go incandescent, there really isn't even a debate over it to be honest. Yeah they can use some refinement (and in fact there has been many advancements in incandescent technologies over the last century), but overall they are what they are and do their job. What more can you ask for?
    • eobanb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8>What more can you ask for?

      Ten times the efficiency?
    • The_Decryptor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5"What more can you ask for?"

      Lower power usage? (i have a 11watt CFL which is equivalent to a 40watt incandescent)
  • Elxx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I like CFLs, but the only caveat (at least in the ones I got) is that they can't be dimmed. Definitely annoying in some cases.
    • freexe, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2They have other issues as well,

      It's my understanding that if you only use them for a short time (say taking a piss) then they use more electricity than a normal light bulb.

      The Watts usage they they quote is after they have warmed up and are on for long periods.

      Plus the more on off switches you do the faster they break. So you should use them in rooms the you use lights for long periods, but I would think twice before you use them in your bath room or attic.
    • unknowndomain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"It's my understanding that if you only use them for a short time (say taking a piss) then they use more electricity than a normal light bulb. "

      Yes 20 seconds not 20 minutes like popular belief would have it.
    • mianos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I quick http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=the+fluorescent+light+myths&spell=1 should dispel most of the crap about taking up masses of power when you turn them on.
    • freexe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I stand corrected, i guess i'm showing my age :(
  • daFilms, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8You won't put up with your 1970's monitor nor refrigerator, why do you with your lightbulb?

    The Year is 2006 -- are we that set on old habits?

    A little curiosity for innovation and common sense will highlight such hard to refute data as...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bulb#Comparison_of_electricity_cost
    • davetd02, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Exactly! Notice that in both of your examples the government didn't have to step in and completely ban 1970s green-on-black monitors. If the technology is really superior then experience suggests users will make the switch themselves.
    • MartinB3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I don't really think superior technology = consumer adoption. Look at your qwerty keyboard.
    • Vogateer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What is superior depends on the traits for which you are looking. Dvorak keyboards are faster, but if you're going to work on a computer in a library or at work, it will almost always be a qwerty keyboard. While not superior in speed and efficiency, qwerty is superior in being a standard that is ubiquitous, and the fact that if you do ever have to use a typewriter for carbon copies, you'll not have to resort to the old hunt and peck method.
  • axonal, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I would love to use flourscents a lot more often but with having a home audio studio, the RFI they give off can ruin a recording. That and in some cases, I'm still able to hear the "buzz" they can make. Right now, I only have my living room fitted with them and keep the lights off when working on audio.
  • kanime, on 10/12/2007, -9/+9Millions of people still buy incandescent lighting for a reason you know. Generally speaking the visual quality of light has been, (and always will be) super important to consumers IMO.

    The only way Toyota started selling hybrids like crazy,.. is by making them look more like cool standard cars as opposed to space ships. (I still love my insight) Point is,.. that until florescent lighting can LOOK good, consumers wont go crazy over it.

    Besides... banning light bulbs? How lame. We aren't Nazis you know.

    No digg.
  • Splitt3rxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I guess maybe it is because we are using cheap ones but the CFL bulbs in my hosue seem dull and dim. probably as bright as a 40w incandescent. I think CFLs are aq good thing but incandescent lighting shouldn't be banned, not everyone can afford CFLs, I would say they have replaced about half the lights in my house.
    • quokkapox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This is why CFL bulbs are great for common areas, porch lights, basements, etc. which are left on for long periods or continuously for safety/security, and don't need to provide "high quality" light. They provide sufficient light for safety and you don't have to worry about leaving them on all the time.
  • davetd02, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Incandescents are already taxed-- you have to pay the electricity bill every month for them. That's a great dis-incentive to people using them. If you value the quality of incandescent enough to pay the energy bills then great -- good for you! The rest of the world values lower energy bills more than the qualities of incandescent. Personally, I enjoy (and am willing to pay the extra money for) full-spectrum halogen bulbs. I know there are full-spectrum fluorescent (and I own several of them too), but the halogen has an advantage in some applications.

    In other words, why does it take a command-and-control regulation against incandescent when there's already an effective use tax?
    • Splitt3rxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Halogens get HOT taht is my only prob with them. I have a halogen lamp and it can heat up my whole room by 5F in an hour. if halogens replaced all my lights the hosue would be so damn hot.
    • davetd02, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@Splitt3rxx -- exactly... what works for you doesn't work for somebody else. Your life would be worse off if tungsten bulbs were banned -- mine would be worse off if halogen bulbs were banned. If the problem with incandescent is really the global cost of energy then tax the energy! The EU has (in effect) all kinds of carbon taxes at the producer level thanks to Kyoto. If I'm willing to pay the carbon tax to fuel my light bulb instead of a plasma TV (which is equally "unnecessary" since there are lower-energy ways to produce TV) then good for all of us!
    • jeroenrnl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0The problem is, that you do not see the energy bill in the store, when buying the bulb and also, the cost of a single bulb is "invisible" on the total bill.
  • gromnie, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11Fluorescent bulbs of all kinds make me ill. Physically sick and unable to think anymore. I can, at maximum, stay in a modern store usefully for about a half hour. So, until they make a fluorescent that doesn't make me sick not a single one will be entering my house.

    [Not to mention how wonderful mercury vapor is for the environment.]

    This guy can take his 'ban' and stick it where no light reaches...
    • Sundae, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Well, according to the article, LESS mercury is released by using these bulbs, not more.

      "Beyond the issue of cost, one common consumer concern is that fluorescent lamps contain trace quantities of mercury, whilst incandescent bulbs do not contain any. This would appear to suggest that incandescent bulbs release less mercury into the environment.

      On the contrary, the Lighting Industry Federation (LIF) has reported that the extra quantity of mercury emissions from burning fossil fuels in power stations to power incandescent lamps is three times the amount contained in equivalent energy efficient lamps."
      • modernone, on 12/23/2007, -0/+0Need to add the mercury released by the Chinese power plants in lamp production and the spillage in that country. I get my power from 0 carbon, 0 mercury hydroelectric power. Why introduce mercury where there currently is none.
    • ShadowVlican, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i can sit for 8 hours under fluorescent lights... guess it's different for everyone didn't you think?
    • diecastbeatdown, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Sundae

      the article and LIF are saying that mercury is being released by power plants. the big difference is that fluorescent bulbs are emitting it a few feet from you personally. of course the emissions from the power plant get into the environment which eventually make its way to you, etc.

      I'm planning on a mix of lighting in my home of CFL and incan. bulbs. as mentioned before, having CFL in your bathroom or places where lighting is being turned on/off frequently is not a good idea as it uses more energy for the initial power on of CFLs.
  • Waredgo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7I can't stand CFL lighting....well, I CAN stand it but only grudgingly. I absolutely DO NOT like the light that CFL's put out - harsh, cold. I will stick with incandescents, halogens, candlelight or no lighting at all.
  • morganm, on 10/12/2007, -7/+8And if we want a lighting article that is tech-related instead of retarded political activism, could we have something on advances in OLEDs or anything else? I mean, fluorescents? And you want to BAN incandescents for something so fraught with both technical and aesthetic suckiness? Use them all you like, enjoy the massive power savings that you can amortize over the life of the irritating, expensive, and unreliable bulb, and keep it to yourself instead of sticking your nose right up in my crack and telling me what to do.
  • geekchic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4That was a very interesting article. I have often thought of buying "energy saving" bulbs but been put off by the cost to benefits issue. I had absolutly no idea just how expensive the electricity used by normal bulbs was though ! The economic arguement has been solved - and my bulbs will be replaced this weekend.
    • modernone, on 12/23/2007, -0/+0So throw away perfectly good bubs and incur the production costs, packaging etc.to purchase a replacement? You should throw away your car and buy a new one every time a more efficient one becomes available. Knee jerk response and feel good pablum is what this is all about and not rational approaches to energy conservation.
  • sclozza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I must be one of the few who likes the cooler temperature that energy saving lights put out.

    For me, it was the best part of the deal :)
    • spyres, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When one lives in a hot climate, this is a real benefit.
    • ShadowVlican, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i don't think you understood what he meant by cooler temperature
  • johndi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They make CFL that can be used with dimmers, they can be difficult to find, but Amazon has some.

    I don't suggest CFL is the only way to go, the guy who wrote the article did seem to forget about other lighting sources such as LEDs (narrow beam), Metal Halide (can explode), and Cold Cathode (very rarely used for lighting, great for beer signs and computers).

    Outdoor lighting such as streetlights and stadiums would be impractical without sodium vapor lamps. They are currently the most efficient lights we have, but have poor color temperature, long warm up times, and shouldn't be turned on and off too frequently. Halogen is just a different type of incandescent light, slightly more efficient than normal bulbs.
  • lagrange, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9Another mink coat liberal who thinks the way to improve the world is to tell other people they can't have something.

    Grow up, get off your ass and make the world a better place instead of bitching about what kind of light bulbs poor people use.

    Oh, and I've purchased CFL bulbs before, only to have them blow out after 3-4 months tops, never 3-4 years as advertised.

    By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings.
    • rm999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I would normally disagree with you, but in this case I agree simply because I don't think flourescent bulbs are of the same quality. Besides, once they are on par with incadecents as far as quality I think market forces will take over. Meanwhile, some people do need an incentive to go for cfbs over flourescents when one is 40 cents and the other is 5 dollars. The uneducated don't realize that the 5 dollar bulb is actually cheaper.

      If you had some blow out in 3-4 months you are either doing somethign wrong or they were crappy quality. I have been using many flourescents in high traffic areas where the light is on all the time but i don't care about quality for 3 years now and I still have never had to replace one.
    • ConceptJunkie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Some CFLs don't last very long at all, but most of the ones I've bought have lasted for years.

      There is a big difference in quality among the CFLs, just like with everything.

  • Kahnza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2How well do CFL's deal with humidity? Or how about heat? I have a light in my shower that I leave on a lot. The fixture is somewhat sealed. But don't know for sure how well. I was thinking I'd like to put a CFL in there to help cut down on the cost.

    Also, does it hurt them if you only turn them on for a minute and then shut them off again? I heard/read somewhere that you should leave a CFL/flourescent on for at least 15min before shutting it off.
  • blitzman, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Yes, I bought into the CFL hype. Turns out, those darn bulbs burn out constantly. The high prices for them get pretty onerous when they need to be replaced every 3 months or so. I gave up and went back to incandescent.
    • Kahnza, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Your electricity must be dirty. Theres no reason they should quit working that soon. I bought some CFLs like 4 or 5 years ago and they still work fine.
    • spyres, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I've had my house filled with them for about 4 years now and not a single one has burned out. So I doubt it's the bulbs in general.
    • MrMiagi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The ones I bought have a 6 or 7 year warranty. I saved all the reciepts. So if one dies prematurely, I (hopefully) will get a replacement.

      My power bill a couple months ago was only $55. In Tampa, not running heat or A/C in the late winter.

      Addressing the humidity issue...I have three in a bathroom that has no ventilation. The room steams up pretty good everytime someone takes a shower. I haven't had any humidity related problems with the bulsbs.
    • ShadowVlican, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0were those fluorescent bulbs made in china?
  • jamit, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4i prefer the "feel" of the old style incandescent tungsten light bulbs. As a filmmaker I use light every day and I have my entire house rigged with 75 Watt 3200 degree kelvin photo floods just because I like the way that they look. I tried the CFLs and I just cant stand them but that's just my weird film geek opinion. Not to mention at work I use 20 Thousand Watt lights
  • jimbo92107, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Jeeze, while yer at it, why not ban non-rechargeable batteries?
    Those damn things must be piling up like plastic bags in the world's landfills.
    • ShadowVlican, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yea.... why don't they? rechargeable battery clearly has a better price/usage ratio
  • sovietninja, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1You know like about 10000 years ago they solved the problem of the future, they got rid of batteries and light bulbs. They used shurikens to reflect the powerful light of the stars, moon and lightsabers to light the world and power solar panels. Certain types of shurikens can reflect light 10x stronger than the STARWARS DVD EDITION of the Second Death Star. AWESOME.
  • AlleyOop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Jamit's comment is one reason to still use incandescent lights. Especially if you do photography with digital equipment. Most of those kinds of cameras have accurate built in curves for incandescent, and tube florescent lights, so that colors look natural. With CFL/florescent lights the temp is different for every brand you get. Without tweaking the color curves by hand the colors of the resulting pictures always look bad to me.

    The other place where CFL lights won't work is in a receptacle that is enclosed.
    They'll overheat and burn out quickly there. I've replaced all of my screw in light bulbs with CFL lights. Mine have lasted for years.
  • cliffosj, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0I broke mine quite bad today, got bits of the glass in my feet. Didnt realise it had mercury in it! Just hope it's not enough to be a problem.
  • DownloadThis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2My wife and I painted our kitchen. It's a light mustardy yellow color. Pretty mute, and looks really nice. We painted in daylight (looked great). At night when we turned on the kitchen lights (incandescent lightbulbs) it also looked fine. Shortly after painting, I decided that I wanted to convert all of the lightbulbs in our house to fluorescents. We put a couple in our kitchen. When we turned the lights on, the pleasant color of our walls turned into ugly bright yellow. It was horrible, and just couldn't live with it. Rather than repainting, we just put the old incandescent bulbs back in and got on with our lives.

  • trakgalvis, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1If you did that it would increase the frequency of headaches due to the flicker!
    • bubbagump, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You got that right. I can't stand the flicker of fluorescent. LED is to harsh. I'm sorry...there is no replacement (yet) for the simple bulb. Its cheap, lasts a respectable amount of time, produces a glowing light...plus you don't have all that mercury to deal with, although I think that too is an overblown concern.

      I't would make much more sense to get the enviro-wackos in line with reality. The only way we are going to cut fuel costs is the warm up the reactors, burn some coal, extract some oil, and build some refineries. THEN focus on finding better ways....we'll bleed to death before we cure the disease at this rate.



  • welshie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've noticed a bizarre effect with compact flourescent lightbulbs (from IKEA). I turn on a compact flourescent bulb, and for the first minute or so of it starting up, it emits a fair amount of infra-red that gets picked up by the remote sensor on the TV. It doesn't blind it, but the little LED sensor lights up. After it's warmed up, the infrared emissions go back to normal.
    • Hubris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ikea tends to distribute the absolute cheapest CFL bulbs. Quality bulbs react better.
  • KingZog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Environmentalists scare me. The logic seems to be that if you have two ways of doing something, the less efficient one should be banned. If you take this to it's logical conclusion most things will be banned.

    And the ridiculous thing is that the world will probably switch away from incandescent bulbs to LED and fluorescent tubes given time anyway. I know I only buy low energy bulbs, mostly because I prefer the color of the light. But taking away other peoples freedom should not be done so lightly.
  • larfus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I just use a lantern.
  • repins, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0fluorescent lights aggrivate my migrain headaches, will I need a Dr's note to buy regular bulbs?

    Flourescent lights actually flicker at about 60 cycles (house current in US) this leads to increased eye strain especially when watching TV or using a computer.
    • Kahnza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Increasing the refresh rate on your monitor helps. I know I can't stand it if mine is set to 60hz. Much nicer if I set it to 75hz.
    • Hubris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1With analog screens yes - they fully refresh the screen, although you can change the rate of refresh so it doesn't match the lights.

      Digital screens never appear to flicker because of the lighting.
  • McNamron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1These bulbs used to be pretty expensive, but they've certainly come down in price now. I've taken to switching my house's light bulbs to CFLs where I can, and I'm sure to write the date the lamp was installed on the base of each bulb to see how long they actually last. In most cases, the replacement of an old-style bulb with a CFL is only noticeable for a while, and then you get used to it. dugg; let's all do a little bit to help -- we've all got to live here. (I don't know about banning the older bulbs, as the title would suggest, however.)
  • ocean1540, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Maybe electricity is too cheap?
  • yardline, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I made the switch, then had four of the "longer lasting CFL's" go bad in one year. So my advice is don't buy Commerciual Electric brand CFL's at Home Depot. Go with a name brand like Phillips.
  • Micrll, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Go I hate fluorescents, of any type. I have really sensitive hearing and vision so I get the problems where...
    1. The color is not right.
    2. When I'm tired I can literally see them flickering as they refresh.
    3. I can hear them buzz.
    4. Just harsh in general.
  • zgf2022, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Noooooo! my lava lamp!

    Seriously, I've got two CFL bulb's in my room and even my best buddy ( who happens to be an art major ) didn't notice. Now my dad has one of the older type bulbs in his bathroom downstairs and it does have that strange not quite right look to it. It even hums quite loudly. My bulbs though look almost exactly like a regular incandescent bulb and they put off a lot less heat. I don't think incandescent bulb's should be banned or taxed. I just think more people should try the new CFL bulbs out. ( it's more of a prejudice thing, everybody knows what they used to look like, not what they do look like now )
  • Falc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I have also replaced all the light bulbs in our house w/ compact fluorescent bulbs. However, in our bedroom we have switched back to traditional incandescent bulbs in our nightstand lamps because of the 3 way option which the compact fluorescent does not have (as far as i could tell) and the more pleasing glow. And from time to time there if a flickering at start up when the power is flipped on, but eventually its all good. Have not had any burn out yet at 2+ years...

    But my question, has this increased your smug factor?
  • chaosmachine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2sorry, 23 years of warm, flicker free light has spoiled me. i won't be switching any time soon.
  • Dekaritae, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I wound suggest avoiding the cheaper variety of fluorescent light bulbs. Canadian Tire has a three-pack of "mini" bulbs for about $10 CAD, but when I use them I get distortion on my television set, which I've never experienced with the more expensive variety of bulbs.
  • Karyyk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Ah, nothing quite like waking up and being greeted by droves of people telling me what I should do, and if I don't, then the government should make me do it.

    I use *SOME* CFL bulbs already (just wanted to check them out...no opion as to better/worse yet), but I'll be damned if the rantings of a bunch of self-righteous quacks will ever be a factor in changing bad habits (though a person's use on an incandescent bulb can hardly be categorized as bad). That's the key here, no one likes being beaten over the head with something, even if it makes sense. Some have posted links to statistics proving the point, while others choose to negative digg any comment that runs contrary to theirs, even if it makes practical sense. And you wonder why people don't like you...
  • vvaduva, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2When you can dim a fluorescent let me know and I'll switch...
  • hcetrepus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Offer mea cheaper alternative to the one thats already working with the same functionality, and I'm sold!
  • Anchoret, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Screw-in replacement fluorescent bulbs are as cheap as fifty cents each here in California, if you shop around.

    I have replaced nearly all the bulbs in the house with them and have never had one go out in eleven years so far. Incandescents were burning out every few months, making fluorescent far cheaper to use, irrespective of power consumption.

    The only drawback with fluorescent bulbs is that they come up to maximum light output slowly, making them less useful in applications where full light is needed briefly. They also can create some (but not much) line noise, so I don't use them in my recording studio. It's not significant elsewhere.

    Because I live in an appallingly hot climate, they also contribute substantially less heat in the house.
    • Hubris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Only cheap bulbs light up slowly - the quality ones give instant light, and still give a net savings over a few months of use.
  • ZekeSulastin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Hmm, having lived in a house with both incandescent and CFL bulbs, I think I'm going to side with the incandescent for the time being. They simply look far more pleasant to the eye, and I (at least) find it easier to read in the more yellow/red light.

    Have you ever seen a flourescent bulb (tube or otherwise) flicker? They flicker oh so verily quickly. I've seen it in both my old HS and the lighting we have here in the dorms. That dying flicker ALONE is a big argument against them. Not only is it aggravating, it can cause seizures ...

    And lastly, what right does any government have to legislate our lives that closely? I thought gov't control of every aspect of our daily existence was what you all were AGAINST.
  • genconkeeper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You know its nice to have a choice.
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