While last Friday’s Waterloo was being unable to hold the line on HR2454 (Cap-and-trade), today’s foray into the ever expanding world of “climate change” mitigation is light bulbs.
Yes, the Government literally wants to answer the question, “How many bureaucrats does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”
Answer? One – the President. And it better be one of those little curly-q light bulbs too.. incandescent/tungsten bulbs are so 1990’s now.
President Obama announced Monday that he is setting new standards for fluorescent and incandescent lighting as part of a series of steps to promote energy efficiency across the country. “I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and businesses,” the President said, standing alongside Energy Secretary Steven Chu at the White House a few hours ago.
I’m sure that soon the Energy Department will announce a credit or a coupon as part of the stimulus package where if you’re unable to screw in your own lightbulbs… someone from ACORN will come to your house and screw them in for you, free of charge.
This would be funny if it wasn’t absolutely ridiculous.
First of all, have you ever used those bulbs? I’ll be frank – they suck. They more than suck. They really suck. They do not generate the same amount of light at the same intensity. One day the wife convinced me to go and buy a bunch of them from Ikea. So we bought like 30 of them. We changed every bulb in our house. Why? Well, allegedly they save energy. A fair amount of energy as a matter of fact. So I thought, “well hey, if we can get the same amount of light and pay less – why not do that?”
Well guess what, they save energy by reducing the amount of LIGHT output as well. It’s not efficient to say “hey, my car gets better gas mileage when I drive it less.” Efficiency is being able to do the same task for less energy.
The bulbs have gotten a bit better since my foray into curly-q bulbs in 2005, but in my view they still suck. I’d use them if they didn’t suck, because, as the guy who pays the electric bill, I’m well aware that little consumption changes can lead to big changes in the electric bill. President Obama doesn’t need a government program to convince me to reduce my expenses, I do that on my own thanks. If the light bulbs were worth it, I’d buy them.
The President has stated that he believes that between 2012 and 2042, the new standards on light bulb efficiency would save consumers up to $4 billion a year, reducing emissions of greenhouses gases “equal to the amount produced by 166 million cars each year.’’ Of course, there is nothing but specious science and alleged “data” to back that up. The president said he is also speeding the release of $346 million under his economic recovery act to expand the use of energy-efficient technologies in residential and commercial buildings. So I guess once again, the little guy gets screwed in favor of “big business,” ACORN is going to to change their light bulbs for office parks first.
People do not need government programs to save money. What they need is options. The market can provide these options if there is sufficient incentive to do so. If high efficiency lightbulbs really do work, then people will buy them. Why pay more for light when you don’t have to. Most people figure that out.
Instead, what will happen is we’ll have the light bulb equivalent of the toilet debacle. Congress decided in order to save water, we should redesign our toilets to flush less water. Ok – ever use one of those? They suck too (or rather don’t suck enough). Because the pressure to get the “matter” through the pipe is half of what it used to be, most of the times you wind up flushing twice. Now, I must admit that Kohler has come up with a really good non-pressurized toilet that flushes quite well. Guess what -that puppy costs about TWICE as much as a normal toilet did. So, where exactly is the savings? In the end, nothing in my house flushes as well as the old fashioned one that is 3.5 gallons. Doesn’t matter what goes in the bowl – it’s gone – one flush.
As a matter of fact, my understanding is that old toilets are salvaged with the higher flush volumes because there is a secondary market for them. By and large, people hate the “high efficiency” toilets. I’m sure you don’t think about that much – but the next time you’re “on the throne” understand, Uncle Sam cares about your waste. He cares so much, he even designed the toilet. I mean, how ridiculous is that?
I wonder if I’ll be able to salvage real light bulbs… since the new ones suck. Otherwise, I’ll be condemned to sitting in eye-harming twilight on my non-flushing toilet.
So when the President is joking how he has enough to do… claiming he doesn’t want more of your liberty… ask why he’s in your bathroom regulating your toilets and your lightbulbs. Hope and Change…. Barack Obama.
