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Greenpeace demands an Irish lightbulb law

greenpeace.org — According to Greenpeace, Ireland, which has the highest energy consumption per household for lighting in the EU, should take the lead in Europe and the world by passing a law setting mandatory efficiency standards for lightbulbs by Jan. 2010...

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  • BladeMelbourne, on 11/21/2007, -13/+4I guess the Irish will need to invent solar powered light bulbs.
    • innocentsinner, on 11/21/2007, -6/+4They could always borrow the patent from Poland.
    • thefirelane, on 11/21/2007, -5/+2No, just green lightbulbs.
      • LeeSoong, on 11/21/2007, -1/+6It's nice to see Greenpeace support building 30 new Nuclear Power Plants.

        Oh, and CF lightbulbs are a TRAP. Mercury industry supported.
        White LED lights - much less power than CF bulbs, and no Mercury.
    • Nexus6, on 11/21/2007, -0/+10What's the point of us inventing solar powered anything. We never see the damm sun. Now, rain powered lightbulbs might be an option.
      • CiXeL, on 11/21/2007, -0/+3waterwheels that gather rain to generate power?
  • rambokilla, on 11/21/2007, -9/+1GREENTEAM!!
  • alex7575, on 11/21/2007, -7/+17So I can "demand" that Irish people buy CFBs from my computer, from the US?
    Can we also "demand" that they wear green all year round?
    • rot13ubercrypto, on 11/21/2007, -0/+3Erm, you can demand whatever you want. That's kind of the point of NGOs...
    • Dundasbro, on 11/21/2007, -3/+13You mean to tell me they don't wear green all year round, are really short and are afraid of me stealing their lucky charms??? You just ruined my hopes and dreams :(
      • Irlande, on 11/21/2007, -2/+6We may not wear green all year round, but I, for one, am afraid of people stealing my lucky charms!!
      • OisinT, on 11/21/2007, -1/+3I just want the marshmallows.... you can have the rest.
    • octophobic, on 11/21/2007, -1/+2Can we also demand that they all talk like the Leprechaun from the Simpsons?
  • Berkana, on 11/21/2007, -3/+23I hope Greenpeace realizes that there are some applications for which CFLs simply won't work. Oven lights for example. But I do agree, inefficient lighting sucks.

    You know what is way better than a bunch of CFL's? Skylights and solar light tubes. Sure, they don't work at night, but if all the applications where artificial lighting is used during the day were replaced with skylights and light tubes, the over all energy savings would be far greater than widespread deployment of CFL's. Think about it. Skylights are basically free energy for lighting. Paying no running costs sure beats anything CFLs can claim.
    • thefirelane, on 11/21/2007, -0/+7you realize there is a tradeoff with heating costs right?
      • Astaro, on 11/21/2007, -1/+2that depends on the design of the skylight.

        There shouldnt have to be.

        the only trade off should be installation cost.
        • noahhoward, on 11/21/2007, -0/+3No, on days with little sun (most of them for Ireland) you will use more heating energy.
          • CiXeL, on 11/21/2007, -0/+1its like in antarctica where in their indoor garden they replaced the skylight with flourescent lights because the energy required to heat the thing in the 6 months of winter outweighed the benefits of natural sunlight during the 6 months of sun.
    • zlintux, on 11/21/2007, -1/+13Someone do a survey of the public to find out if they realise CFLs contain mercury and must be treated as a hazardous material when being disposed of, or when accidentally broken.
      Then tell me they're better for the environment.
    • loves2spooge, on 11/21/2007, -1/+6you realise Ireland isn't that sunny...
    • noahhoward, on 11/21/2007, -0/+4Ireland gets an average 1,100 hours of sunshine annually (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/ni ... That's out of 8,760 total hours in a year or out of approximately 4,000 daytime hours..
  • badassninja, on 11/21/2007, -13/+64I demand that the green peace Shuts the ***** up.
    I mean as long as people with zero authority gets to demand things I might as well try.
    • thewidowmaker, on 11/21/2007, -6/+3Not that I care about this too much, but RTFA...
      ..it surely looks like they are "demanding" something by asking you to sign a PETITION. In that case, according to the poster we should digg every lobbyist who is demanding the government do something for their associated interest groups then.
      • PeppermintPig, on 11/21/2007, -3/+6But in the end it's better to give people reasons to go green than to try growing support to outlaw freedom of choice.
        • thewidowmaker, on 11/21/2007, -2/+3yeah...sure..agreed. special interest groups are always trying to legislate their agenda...and it always makes sense if people can do the right thing (whatever that is) on their own initiative.

          my argument though is that it is just a sensationalist title for something that could have been called "Greenpeace sponsors petition to legislate energy-efficient lighting". the only thing about "demanding" anything in the whole article is that they say "You can demand"...blah blah blah...by signing their petition. so in reality it is whatever irish blokes who have signed up on the petition that are demanding this.

          it is stupid that this is on the front page. as stupid as having any petition sensationalized and dugg. (anyone who lives in a major city is asked to sign some hair-brained petition at least 1 every couple of days). report back if it gets more than a handful of signatures.
        • VinceNoir, on 11/21/2007, -5/+3What is it that the loonytarians say? "Your freedom ends where my nose begins", or some other such nonsense. Personally, I think that if we continue to user energy wasting incandescent for everything when there are better alternatives, we're being selfish. That's never a good thing. In addition, that energy waste and inefficiency really adds up. A lot. Both in terms of resource waste and environmental impact. And that's where you start crossing the line into interfering with my life. If you're going to turn your own space into an unusable plot of wasted land, that's one thing. But when you do it to the rest of the world, you're being a selfish piece of *****. People like that don't deserve freedom of choice. People like that squander their freedoms. They've proven they can't use that freedom properly since they are willing to impact other people with no regard. By being a part of a major problem that affects everyone, I can't really agree that freedom of choice applies.

          I keep hearing people saying "we're going to need X times the amount of energy we produce today if we're going to meet increasing electrical energy demands. That means we need nukes! And lots of them! Solar and wind just ain't gonna cut it"! Well I've got news for you tards... Why not, instead of putting massive amounts of time and money into building nukes and turning the planet into an eventual toxic mess, work to shore up energy efficiency of existing technology? Think about all the servers in computer rooms around the world that are incredibly inefficient where enery is concerned. Think about all those CPU, hard drive, GPU and other fans in your desktop PCs. Instead of taking the crap that Intel and AMD throw out, FORCE them to make more efficient chips that expend little or nearly no heat and use every bit of power for processing. Make all electrical appliances and infrastructure smarter. Things that aren't in use should shut off completely after an idle time. Human usable clocks on various appliances that don't use time in any way should be eliminated. Think of all the microwave clocks that wastefully display time all day. Instead just have one clock, ideally solar powered, on each floor of the house. Again, the clocks don't have much financial impact on you, but together they still account for a sizable amount of energy waste. If that energy wasn't being wasted all over the place, solar and wind power would be enough.

          I don't hate your freedom. I hate the way people like you squander it without thinking of the effect you're having on others or in this case, the entire planet. Much as I really think the idiots who smoke knowing that they'll eventually get cancer are wastes of space. If you don't value your life, just go get it over with and jump off a bridge. You have no right to grab me on the way down though. When you DO get cancer or emphysema, don't bitch about how much it sucks, or it hurts. You made your ***** choice. Live with it. Cherish it. Remind yourself of how you took advantage of your freedom of choice and fully accepted the consequences. And don't EVER say, "but I didn't think it would happen to me" or "I didn't think it would be this bad". We tried to tell you before it was too late and you labored under the false notion that your freedom of choice was somehow more important than future considerations. Accept it. Eat that cancer and savor its rich full flavor. Love it as much as you love your cherished freedom of choice. But, when it comes to energy waste and it's impact on those around you. You can bet you've lost all claim to freedom of choice. You have no choice. You don't deserve a choice. The only thing you do deserve is to be cut off from the rest of society. Or, if things continue in this direction, you deserve to have my fist planted firmly in your throat when we're both struggling to breathe, find clean water or living with very little electrical energy to go around.

          Or to put it in a way that the common idiot Digg reader will understand: "Don't bogart my planet dude".
      • CressCrowbits, on 11/21/2007, -6/+4Giving people the option to damage the environment irrepairably for everyone else shouldn't be a 'freedom of choice'.
    • bariswheel, on 11/21/2007, -6/+4you are just such a badass, badassninja.
      Look kids, it's become oh so fashionable to talk smack about organizations without any substantial knowledge or evidence to back.
      It amazes me how many people, whose only scientific knowledge (so to speak) comes from YouTube, Google, or mainstream news media (or even worst, religion), , not just to argue and minimize the value of scientific evidence, but to feel comfortable with their ignorance and attempt to spread it to the rest. This virus needs to be truncated. We all come factory installed with opinions, but knowledge and reasoning takes effort, and this is unfortunately where people throw in the towel and use every energy they have to justify their beliefs to feel better.
      • wrongonce, on 11/21/2007, -2/+4"It amazes me how many people, whose only scientific knowledge (so to speak) comes from YouTube, Google, or mainstream news media (or even worst, religion),"
        "...oh so fashionable to talk smack about organizations (or people) without any substantial knowledge or evidence to back. (it up)"
        Please provide your evidence that ninja gets scientific knowledge from youtube/google/religion, so that you don't appear to be such a hypocrite.
        Greenpeace is a political organization, not scientific.
        After we stop people like ninja from voicing his opinion, it will be far easier to implement our plans of total world domination. Truncate away.
    • mcduckov, on 11/21/2007, -4/+2You don't need to be a brilliant genius to know that lightbulbs are currently designed with a lifespan that has an eye toward maintaining the cashflow of the companies that make the bulbs. It is one of those failures of capitalism that irritate the "free markets will fix everything" crowd. Regulations and laws are called for here to basically say "this is not an area where profit will be the primary concern".
      • killakan, on 11/21/2007, -2/+2name a single consumable product that ISN'T designed with a lifespan to maintain the cashflow of the manufacturer?
        Laptops, rechargeable batteries, cars, light bulbs, DVD players, TVs, etc. All products are designed with planned obsolescence and maximum usable life.
  • Huggebugge, on 11/21/2007, -7/+1What they should do, is learn how to isolate. Cause the heaters are on 24/7 in the winter in every single house, even the newly built ones.
    • senatorpjt, on 11/21/2007, -3/+5The heaters are always on because it's always cold, and the lights are always on because it's always dark. Sounds like they should just move.
      • Myonosken, on 11/21/2007, -4/+1No more cold than Britain. Infact, in Winter, you should be warmer given there is more of you by the sea.
        • noahhoward, on 11/21/2007, -1/+4Yeah the North Atlantic real warm waters there.
          • CiXeL, on 11/21/2007, -1/+1"The heaters are always on because it's always cold, and the lights are always on because it's always dark. "

            sounds like a space station.
            they need to build it more like a space station then. build it like vegas or the edmonton mall
        • senatorpjt, on 11/21/2007, -1/+1Yeah, them too. I think that's the real reason they tried to colonize Africa. The weather.
    • Astaro, on 11/21/2007, -0/+7perhaps you mean insulate?
      There are definite advances to be made, in terms of insulation standards for new houses everywhere, and updating older houses too.
      As far as the heaters go, I have never seen a heater in Ireland that wasn't controlled by a thermostat, usually 2 remote thermostats.
    • Bonzodog, on 11/21/2007, -0/+1um....No they aren't.
      It is cold, maybe, in the winter. But here on the west coast, we almost invariably never have snow (maybe the odd cm or two one night of the year), and our summers can be blisteringly hot, although a lot more humid than the US. At the moment the temperature is about 10 degrees Celcius.
  • Evgen1973, on 11/21/2007, -4/+0is probability which, that such act will be passed a?
    • REBELinBLUE, on 11/21/2007, -0/+5Reading that comment made my brain hurt o_O
  • Brodels, on 11/21/2007, -4/+14so now when we want to change a bulb we're going to have to hold the light bulb, and drink until the room starts spinning.
  • idavidius, on 11/21/2007, -5/+3The irony of this article is that the person to be petitioned - Mr. John Gormley, the minister for energy, is from the Green Party.
    So effectively Greenpeace are asking people to petition one of their own group!
    Sounds a bit suspicious to me!
    • plingboot, on 11/21/2007, -1/+4Green Party != Greenpeace
      • idavidius, on 11/21/2007, -0/+2The Green Party have several high profile members who are members of Greenpeace e.g. their general secretary Dermot Hamilton.. They also endorse many of the same ideals. In this regard it seems strange that Greenpeace are having to petition a politician who is of a similar environmental and idealogical mindset. Surely they could just ask him first, or is this just a case of making a fuss for the sake of making fuss?
  • cr1t, on 11/21/2007, -11/+2(read in Irish accent) I demand that the wee leprechaun hands over its pot of gold.
    • dinostabOMG, on 11/21/2007, -3/+5Rarely am I blinded by the sheer cleverness of a comment on Digg.
  • duffblue, on 11/21/2007, -2/+5Hey guys! Stereotypes are awesome!
  • Mcl0vin, on 11/21/2007, -17/+1Stupid Irish !!! but they dont know any better i suppose
    • mboylan86, on 11/21/2007, -6/+2stupid Irish? atleast we dont follow everything America does like the stupid english. Your country is nothing but george bush's whipping boy
      • Mcl0vin, on 11/21/2007, -6/+0Yeh We even own a big chunck of your backwards country !! ...ive been to Dublin its was ***** !! call that a capital.. just turn your bulbs off is all we ask
        • mickoneill30, on 11/21/2007, -1/+2And the English wonder why people don't like them.
          • Mcl0vin, on 11/21/2007, -3/+1The weak never like the strong
          • noahhoward, on 11/21/2007, -0/+4Okay, please don't lump in that sod in with the rest of us.
          • mickoneill30, on 11/21/2007, -0/+3Yeah. It could be that. Don't like wankers either.
        • OisinT, on 11/21/2007, -0/+2not exactly a big chunk.
    • Cupantae, on 11/21/2007, -0/+4You are both phenomenally stupid. I hate when Irish people try to speak for us as a country
  • Tooltucker, on 11/21/2007, -2/+8Fluorescent lighting is so much more romantic.
  • calfin, on 11/21/2007, -2/+9First they stop us killing all those innocent animals, then they stop us from pouring our excess oil into the ocean, now they are trying to take our light bulbs!!! Will it ever end?!

    The reason Ireland is the highest consumer of light per house is because it is dark all of the shagging time. It is dark when I go to work, it is dark when I come home... guess I should stop working at night time :P
  • senatorpjt, on 11/21/2007, -10/+2Were they drunk when they came up with this idea?
    Oh, they're Irish.
  • ChuckFoster, on 11/21/2007, -11/+15greenpeace = HYPOCRITES

    CFLs contain mercury! Last lecture i got from the greenies is that mercury is bad for teh environment, unborn bebehs, fishies and eagles.

    WTF?!

    I am all for solar and wind power, but it seems that the Greenies are against wind power because teh towers blight the landscapes and kills(!) teh flying birdies. Like the towers actually hunt the birdies down.

    Last time i checked birds FLY into buildings all the time and die. Based on that logic we should all be living in wigwams and teepees just to save the birdies.

    Oh - and if you are unlucky enough to break a CFL, just save yourself the trouble and call a HAZMAT team.

    http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm
    Clean Up Instructions for CFLs courtesy of teh EPA

    Spills
    What Never to Do with a Mercury Spill

    * Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury (but see the "What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks" section below for more specific instructions about vacuuming broken fluorescent light bulbs). The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure. The vacuum appliance will be contaminated and have to be thrown away.

    * Never use a broom to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury into smaller droplets and spread them.

    * Never pour mercury down a drain. It may lodge in the plumbing and cause future problems during plumbing repairs. If discharged, it can cause pollution of the septic tank or sewage treatment plant.

    * Never wash mercury-contaminated items in a washing machine. Mercury may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

    * Never walk around if your shoes might be contaminated with mercury. Contaminated clothing can also spread mercury around.


    Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

    1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

    2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.
    - Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands). Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag.
    - Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

    3. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag.
    - Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal.
    !!!!!! --> Note: Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center.
    - Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

    4. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet:
    - First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
    - If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.


    What to Do if You Have Mercury in Your Home
    ------------------------------------------------------------

    Many people have containers of elemental mercury in their homes left over from science projects or other sources. If you have elemental mercury in your home, you need to exercise extreme caution with it and package it to prevent any leaks or spills. See the next two sections of this page to find how to package, transport and dispose of mercury.


    Packaging Mercury for Storage and Transportation
    ------------------------------------------------------------

    * All mercury-containing products or containers of mercury should be placed inside a larger container with a tight fitting lid.
    * Kitty litter or oil-absorbent matter should be placed around the product to protect it from breaking or sudden shocks.
    * Clearly label storage container as "Mercury - DO NOT OPEN."
    * If you must wait for a hazardous waste collection day, store products safely in their original containers with the labels intact, and keep them out of reach of children and pets.
    * Transport container to a household hazardous collection center in a cardboard box. Secure them so that they do not tip over. This will minimize shifting or sliding during sudden stops or turns.
    * Transport containers in the back of a pick-up truck or in a car trunk. If you must transport in the passenger compartment, make sure there is adequate ventilation.


    Disposal
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Many states and local agencies have developed collection/exchange programs for mercury-containing devices, such as thermometers, manometers, and thermostats, and recycling programs for fluorescent light bulbs. Some counties and cities also have household hazardous waste collection programs. For information about these programs, contact your local officials to find out when and where a collection will be held in your area. Earth911 also provides information about local collection programs.Exit EPA Disclaimer

    Households are generally exempt from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations that govern the transportation, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes that contain mercury, but small and large businesses and industries are not exempt. Their mercury wastes are governed under EPA’s Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) Program. EPA has designated some widely generated hazardous wastes, including certain spent batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment and light bulbs, as "universal wastes". The regulations that govern universal wastes include special management provisions intended to facilitate the recycling of such materials.

    Note that some states and local jurisdictions have elected to pass regulations that are more stringent than the federal hazardous waste regulations. Several states and municipalities do not recognize the exemption for households; others regulate all fluorescent lamps as hazardous, regardless of their mercury content. For example, Vermont bans all mercury-containing waste from landfills, including mercury-containing waste generated by households. For more information specific to your state, contact your state or local environmental regulatory agency.


    • Krumm, on 11/21/2007, -1/+11Maybe a little overkill, but not retatred - CFL's DO contain mercury, so he has a point.
      A tiny amount multiplied by the amount of standard bulbs to be replaced soon mount up - which is why CFL's in the UK have to be recycled (not sure about you guys in the US) and can't just be thrown out.
      Most places that sell them now accept them back for recycling.
    • MattS, on 11/21/2007, -2/+5Com'n man - I dont even read my business correspondence that is over one screen in length - You think I'm going to read your monolithic post? I am glad you are fervent in whatever your belief is up there, but learn your audience and pick your battles... In short - take a chill, man...
      • noahhoward, on 11/21/2007, -2/+6Hope you don't work in any business where reading is valued.
    • jmiller520, on 11/21/2007, -1/+3Burning coal produces mercury too. Apparently the amount of mercury saved through conservation (by switching to a CFL) is more than the amount in the CFL, so it's a win. Of course, if your power doesn't come from coal, you're adding mercury, but still it's a very small amount.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_l ...
      Regardless, you should recycle your CFL.
      see also:
      http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp
  • Frostman3D, on 11/21/2007, -6/+16Greenpeace isn't in a position to demand a damn thing. ***** Greenpeace. and ***** Peta while we're at it.
    I'm all for conservation, and protecting animals, but these organizations turn people away from getting involved with the movement.
    • calfin, on 11/21/2007, -2/+2Don't worry, us irish won't put out our lightbulbs for anyone!
  • spyd3rweb, on 11/21/2007, -2/+12Lightbulb Fascism!!!
  • themattyd, on 11/21/2007, -3/+3I use those things, and there's another problem: they're electromagnetically noisy. They're not as bad as a TV or an old-fashioned fluorescent, but I have to go through the house and turn off all the lights if I want to record electric guitar. Otherwise I get an audible buzz coming through the coils of the pickups. Incandescents don't do that.
    • MuadDave, on 11/21/2007, -0/+2You think they're noisy in your guitar amp? Try amateur radio, where they blanket the spectrum with RFI.
  • theculchie1, on 11/21/2007, -3/+9We're number one!

    In addition we have a huge dependancy on foriegn oil. Many of our power plants are approaching the end of their useful life and new ones are bogged down in the planning process.
    We don't have any nuclear power plants due to the public perception of the evils of nuclear. However we have no qualms about importing nuclear energy from the UK grid via the northern Ireland/ scotland interconnector.
    Our largest natural gas find in the atlantic ocean has been bogged down by the planning process and particularly militant envionmental nutters for the last few years.
    Irish solutions for Irish problems!
    • rivalius13, on 11/21/2007, -0/+9The real Irish solution would be to ban lightbulbs for everyone except Bertie.
    • SCVirus, on 11/21/2007, -1/+1"militant envionmental nutters"

      Is that what we're calling those who protect their homes, familys and communities from undue hazards in order to protect multi-national's profits? Perhaps they should simply cede sovereignty to the Royal Dutch Shell corperation. Then Shell will be able to continue to resell Irish national resources to the Irish people for the full market rate in peace. I'm sure that's what James Connolly had in mind.
  • BulletsforRingo, on 11/21/2007, -9/+12***** GREENPEACE! DIE HIPPIE SCUM!
    • blast_flame, on 11/21/2007, -2/+1While I hate hippies too I wouldn't go as far as killing them all...
      • p51d007, on 11/21/2007, -1/+2No, we need to keep a couple of them around, keep them in a zoo, so we can remember why we killed off
        most of their species.
      • killakan, on 11/21/2007, -1/+2No even if we use them to feed the animals at the zoo?
  • hypnotoad32, on 11/21/2007, -2/+6I've heard of a Dutch Oven, and Cleveland Steamer, but what's an Irish Lightbulb? Is it that bad that we need a law about it? Pardon my naïveté.
    • calfin, on 11/21/2007, -1/+1Irish lightbulbs killed 73 people last year in S.E.Asia alone, it is a serious issue... :D
  • 15thPD, on 11/21/2007, -3/+10I demand Greenpeace stop smelling their own farts.
  • snugglebear, on 11/21/2007, -4/+2Until they make an energy efficient light bulb which gives off actual light, I won't use them. I've tried several times through the years, they never work as advertised. Their 100 Watt bulbs must be the equivalent of 30 watts.
    • jmiller520, on 11/21/2007, -0/+1I don't know where you're buying your CFLs, but the ones I've installed are bright enough for me. My only complaint is the slight delay when turning 'em on. And I can live with that.
    • cliffski, on 11/23/2007, -0/+1what?
      a 20w CFL is easily the same as a 100W incandescent in luminosity. you have got it the wrong way round kid.
  • rivalius13, on 11/21/2007, -3/+8*switches on all lights* Suck on that hippies.
  • StephenCIreland, on 11/21/2007, -3/+3***** that, i tried CFL bulbs, they can go ***** off, the things are too big for my uplighters, and as for taking photos, 500 watt lights FTW !!!!!! and then theres my 150w halogen set , the reason we use so much light is because our country is so dark, greenpeace can go kill themselves, if i tried to demand that i want the world my way nobody would listen, so take that , damn hippies , just for that im going to turn on anything that emits light, 14 crt monitors / old macs, should do nicely
    • jmiller520, on 11/21/2007, -0/+1Indeed. I'm all for people choosing to use CFLs in situations where they're appropriate, but I sure as hell don't want the government or an NGO mandating them.
  • Elohir, on 11/21/2007, -3/+7Greenpeace can kiss my ar*e. I moved into a new flat and realised the lightbulbs were a bit weird. Tiny, giving off little light and each room needs at least four of them, even the bathroom.

    Loads of them started blowing out so I took one to a supermarket, they don't stock them. No-one does. Why? Because it turns out because my building is new they were FORCED to use these terrible 'energy saving' lightbulbs because of new eco-legislation and guess what, only one company in the country is ALLOWED to sell them.

    The price? £18 each. There are around 28 in my flat. So just to replace the bloody lightbulbs in my flat it'll cost me £500. A thousand dollars for bloody LIGHTBULBS.

    **** greenpeace.
    • Tadpole, on 11/21/2007, -0/+0Total rubbish im afraid....!

      To have 23 of them in your flat, you must be talking about downlight type fittings. You wont find them in a supermarket, yet, because they are pretty new and the supermarkets havent got a clue..Give it time, they will catch up.
      There is no truth AT ALL in the whole "only one company is allowed to import them", dunno who told you this, buts its garbage...! Go to ANY electrical wholesaler in the country and you will get them for about £6 each for a best quality one. I know, cos I am a buyer in one of the nationals ;)
      • Elohir, on 11/25/2007, -0/+1Well you may be right but my wife looked the serial codes up online and site that came up, the makers I think, talked about the legislation and said that they didn't use any other method of purchasing. It could be that they weren't telling the whole truth but tbh I'll probably not find out - I'm not spending £120 on lightbulb - I'll just buy lamps instead. ; )
  • dodonoghue, on 11/21/2007, -0/+4From Ireland, the typical Irish person doesn't know what a CFL is. But hey the island of Manhattan is worse in terms of total energy consumption than this island.
    • mickoneill30, on 11/21/2007, -1/+0Speak for yourself. If you go out to any of the main supermarkets you'll see CFLs for sale pretty prominently. Most people I know use CFLs. Not mainly because we care for the environment, more because we try to shave off a small percentage of the ESB bill, you'd be daft not to.
      I don't think lightbulbs are the problem. There's a big move to huge LCD TVs. They use the same amount as a couple of houses worth of lightbulbs. With our climate tumble dryers are frequently the only option to dry clothes. There are new IT datacentres hosting 1000s of servers, that's been counted in our energy consumption. Most houses have PCs now, many with them on 24X7. How about we get office buildings to turn off the lights when they go home.
      Changing a few 100W lightbulbs down to 11W CFLs isn't going to make much of a dent in that.
      I think the reason Greenpeace are trying this with the Irish minister is that they're likely to get listened to. Ireland is way ahead of many countries that don't have a clue (some of those countries aren't a million miles away). This is something that could be implemented, wouldn't cost much and would benefit the consumer and the environment.
      • Bonzodog, on 11/21/2007, -0/+1I think the reason Greenpeace are targeting us is because we are the first country in the EU to have the Green Party actually in a position of power, so they think they can persuade the greens to act.
    • killakan, on 11/21/2007, -4/+1Ireland size: 84,412 km² population: 6 million
      Manhattan: size: 87.46 km² population: 1,537,195

      One quart the population on one thousandth the land. Fair comparison there.

      You are an *****.
  • 2sjh1, on 11/21/2007, -0/+6The "inefficient" lightbulbs are extremely useful because the inefficiency is radiated as HEAT... which means you make use of all the lightbulb in colder climates all year long!
    • mickoneill30, on 11/21/2007, -1/+0Which travels up to warm a small spot on your roof.
  • p51d007, on 11/21/2007, -4/+6Here's what I think. F**K the environmentalist!
    Freeze to death in the dark you environmentalist bastards!
    Yes, I know it will get dugg down by the wacked out libs on here.
  • triggerfinger, on 11/21/2007, -0/+3How many Diggs does it take to change a lightbulb?
  • tman84, on 11/21/2007, -3/+3Last I checked the only people who could pass laws in Ireland were the Irish citizens. Special Interest groups need to stop speaking on behalf of people. Smug A**holes all of them
  • sagat, on 11/21/2007, -2/+4The greatest thing the French ever did was bomb the Rainbow Warrior. ***** Greenpeace hippies, they smell like cabbage. How much time and money did they waste sitting in those trees at the Glen of the Downs trying to block the N11 expansion? Wankers.
  • PhilAirtime, on 11/21/2007, -1/+3Why exactly should I be signing internet petitions "demanding" the Irish do this and that? Wouldn't it be more constructive to start using energy saving bulbs myself (I already do, it saves me loads of money) and lobbying my own UK government? Ireland, despite having the highest per household lighting emissions in the EU, isn't that significant in the great scheme of things. Let's all do something for ourselves rather than picking on the poor old Irish!
  • calfin, on 11/21/2007, -1/+2Do you think it would piss them off if I rang them and said that I leave all the lights on when I head out somewhere?

    muhahahahaha...

    Ah no, but when you live rurally you cannot take the chance of leaving your house all darkened out, either the tinkers or the foreigners will gnab all yer coolies!
  • snakelegend, on 11/22/2007, -1/+1ECO-TERRORISTS
  • martinaoe2, on 11/22/2007, -0/+1wooo ireland rules... haha.... i sleeep wit my lights on.. mwah
  • hitmyspot, on 11/22/2007, -0/+1I have to say I think it is unfair of Greenpeace to stereotype Ireland as poor environmentalists. The government have actually been quite progressive on environmental issues, including:
    Plastic bag tax: 15cent tax on all plastic bags in shops which goes to environmental fund for the local area. This encourages reusing bags and bags for life.
    Electrical goods recycling: all electrical goods have a charge taxed on them for recycling (from washing machines to ipods). This is collected at the point of sale and the shop is then obliged to accept the goods back for recycling and correct disposal.
    Weighing waste: Bins are being barcoded and people are being charged according to how much waste they produce, rather than a set charge for collection. Recycling is of course free.

    This polluter pays principle is spreading and I have seen it proposed in other countries due to its success in Ireland and other countries. Ireland is increasing its pollution due to increased industry growth. However we were a bit behind and we are trying to improve things. Ireland is still the "green" country, generally clean and pollution free, except for certain areas.
    • souter, on 11/23/2007, -0/+0I live in Ireland, it is _not_ a green land (other than due to excess fertilizer on pastures).
      Plastic bag tax granted, that was an indigenous and ingenious measure which looks to being copied by other countries.

      Waste electrical and electronic recycling, bin charges - these were forced on Ireland by the EU.
      Unlike other EU directives such as nitrate levels (resisted by farmers lobby), energy efficiency for buildings (builders lobby) - the Irish government has to be dragged kicking and screaming through derogation after derogation.
      The planning system is endemically corrupt, one off housing is ruining the landscape, the water table and increasing the dependence on private cars which sees Ireland as the highest per captia CO2 emitter in the EU.
      The majority of new build houses are concrete rather than timber frame because of the aforementioned builders lobby.
      The only government gesture towards Kyoto has been to swap (some) minister's Mercs for hybrid Lexus, meanwhile just stumping up for carbon credits from the taxpayers pockets.

      Encouraging CFL usage has potential, but needs careful consideration. As has been pointed out, because of Ireland's climate the majority of the time incandescent bulbs provide heat that is not wasted. Simpler measures, such as switching off lights not in use and designing to use daylight could do a lot. And the joker in the pack, LED lights already surpass CFL for efficiency, it won't be long till the surpass them for captial cost, overall environmental impact and aesthetics.

  • syxle, on 11/22/2007, -1/+1Who gave Greenpeace permission to control governments?
  • lgfaphile, on 11/24/2007, -0/+1So when everyone buys compact fluorescent bulbs Greenpeace will go crazy because they have mercury in them and they will sue to make you dispose of them properly. Then, all the energy saved by the CF bulbs will be wasted (and then some) transporting all the spent CF bulbs to a hazmat facility where it is permissible to dispose of mercury containing products.

    I am all for conservation and energy independence so the world can reduce oil consumption and stop paying for terror attacks against us. We just need to be thoughtful about how we do it.
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