What happens when government manipulates markets through enacting laws, or regulation? The EU and UK handling of how people can light their homes provides a teachable moment.
The EU’s ban on incandescent light bulbs is well under way, with consumers left with only the balance of this year to enjoy safe, easy light:
From September it [the EU] will prevent retailers buying in 60watt bulbs. By 2012 all incandescent bulbs will be banned – forcing shoppers to buy low-energy alternatives for almost all the light fittings in their homes.
The market loves the old bulbs - they are cheap, safe and easy to read by, unlike the replacement compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Having regulated away consumer choice so everyone must buy the ‘green’ option or live in the dark, the UK government has ordered the end of subsidies that kept the cost of CFL’s artificially low - a move that will see a threefold increase in the price of CFL’s:
Manufacturers put up prices two years ago when the first ban came in and clearly will do the same again. It’s the perfect storm for them. Wholesale prices are already creeping up and when the subsidy ends those big supermarkets will have to increase their prices substantially or run a loss.’
The timing is terrible for consumers already suffering from other disastrous green energy policies driving up the cost of living in the UK.
By subsidizing CFL’s during the ban and by denying the deleterious health effects and potential for real environmental harm of CFL’s the government ensured that opposition to the ban on incandescent bulbs was low-key at best. They hid the true cost of the mercury toxic bombs and now stand to reap the tax rewards as consumers are forced to pay three times the price the very same moment VAT is increased to 20%.
Governments love to go green because it brings in more green, not because they are Gaia-hugging hippies. The US and Canada are on similar schedules to ban incandescent light bulbs, expect the same price gouging to happen here - there was a reason GE was so keen to support the move to CFL’s - they make all of theirs in China for pennies.
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It’s even better/worse than that. There’s another EU law in the works that would expand an already existing ban on mercury and other “dangerous substances” to ban CFLs and other “green light bulbs” (among many other things), leaving EU subjects with no means to light their houses except oil lamps and candles (which will no doubt face bans of their own due to the amount of CO2 and soot emitted as soon as they’re going to be used again for more than Christmas decorations).
It’s even better/worse than that. There’s another EU law in the works that would expand an already existing ban on mercury and other “dangerous substances” to ban CFLs and other “green light bulbs” (among many other things), leaving EU subjects with no means to light their houses except oil lamps and candles (which will no doubt face bans of their own due to the amount of CO2 and soot emitted as soon as they’re going to be used again for more than Christmas decorations).
Thanks for the tip JTW, I’ll have a look for that story and either update this or post about it.
Thanks for the tip JTW, I’ll have a look for that story and either update this or post about it.
This is a typical mainstream media article, trying to frighten people.
Whoever wrote this ought to be skewered.
I have not bought a incandescent light bulb in 40 years. Why would I when superior products have always been available that use less current, and create less heat??
Thomas Edison was a tinkerer who took 5000 tries before he got his bulb to work.
Nicola Teslas’ FIRST fluorescent light worked. Tesla was a genius who pointed out that alternating current was the best way to go instead of Edisons wrong idea to use direct current. I learned this stuff in the early 1970s. Doesnt everyone know this?
This is a typical mainstream media article, trying to frighten people.
Whoever wrote this ought to be skewered.
I have not bought a incandescent light bulb in 40 years. Why would I when superior products have always been available that use less current, and create less heat??
Thomas Edison was a tinkerer who took 5000 tries before he got his bulb to work.
Nicola Teslas’ FIRST fluorescent light worked. Tesla was a genius who pointed out that alternating current was the best way to go instead of Edisons wrong idea to use direct current. I learned this stuff in the early 1970s. Doesnt everyone know this?
I think pretty much everyone knows that Tesla was a genius, but at the time Edison was more business savvy and perhaps even ruthless - therefore AC won over DC and Edison’s version of the light bulb became the primary product.
The issue isn’t about wishing what happened had not happened but rather the misguided thinking that has green lobby groups forcing governments to mandate how we light our homes. I prefer not to fill my home with mercury-laden flickering dim bulbs, but the hippies have stripped us of that choice, and for no good reason. That usually happens when their ideas can’t win in the court of opinion or open markets - the regulate their preferences. In ten years time when millions of CFL’s have been dumped in landfills and all the ‘tiny’ amounts of mercury have leeched into the soil - the hippies will only have themselves to blame for creating an environmental disaster.
And this site is just a blog, please don’t call it ‘mainstream media’ - that stings.
I think pretty much everyone knows that Tesla was a genius, but at the time Edison was more business savvy and perhaps even ruthless - therefore AC won over DC and Edison’s version of the light bulb became the primary product.
The issue isn’t about wishing what happened had not happened but rather the misguided thinking that has green lobby groups forcing governments to mandate how we light our homes. I prefer not to fill my home with mercury-laden flickering dim bulbs, but the hippies have stripped us of that choice, and for no good reason. That usually happens when their ideas can’t win in the court of opinion or open markets - the regulate their preferences. In ten years time when millions of CFL’s have been dumped in landfills and all the ‘tiny’ amounts of mercury have leeched into the soil - the hippies will only have themselves to blame for creating an environmental disaster.
And this site is just a blog, please don’t call it ‘mainstream media’ - that stings.
“Edison was more business savvy and perhaps even ruthless – therefore AC won over DC “????????
again, DC was Edisons idea. He LOST to AC.
Fluorescents have been commonly available to the public for almost 100 years and thats all I have used for 40 years in my home.
I worked as maintenance for 150 buildings for 17 years. and paid attention to the lamps, (correct word for what most people call light bulbs) I saw fluorescents last for 12 years in daily use (admittedly not all burn this long) as opposed to the life expectancy of an incandescent, which is about 30 days if left burning continuously.
Here is the statement of the usual mainstream media scare tactics kind of thinking which is incorrect since fluorescents are easily obtained, enjoy low cost to operate, with low heat and long life —————— “……consumers left with only the balance of this year to enjoy safe, easy light:
……all incandescent bulbs will be banned – forcing shoppers to buy low-energy alternatives for almost all the light fittings in their homes………”
My error, I alternated the AC/DC in my response, must have been Thunderstruck.
“Edison was more business savvy and perhaps even ruthless – therefore AC won over DC “????????
again, DC was Edisons idea. He LOST to AC.
Fluorescents have been commonly available to the public for almost 100 years and thats all I have used for 40 years in my home.
I worked as maintenance for 150 buildings for 17 years. and paid attention to the lamps, (correct word for what most people call light bulbs) I saw fluorescents last for 12 years in daily use (admittedly not all burn this long) as opposed to the life expectancy of an incandescent, which is about 30 days if left burning continuously.
Here is the statement of the usual mainstream media scare tactics kind of thinking which is incorrect since fluorescents are easily obtained, enjoy low cost to operate, with low heat and long life —————— “……consumers left with only the balance of this year to enjoy safe, easy light:
……all incandescent bulbs will be banned – forcing shoppers to buy low-energy alternatives for almost all the light fittings in their homes………”
My error, I alternated the AC/DC in my response, must have been Thunderstruck.
Perhaps I was not clear…I am talking about fluorescents, NOT CFLs and I do agree with you about the evil of government mandates.
The last time I saw a hippie was about 40 years ago and I do not understand recent comments about hippies. They disappeared long ago.
My point is that choices have not disappeared!
Incandescents are a poor choice and always have been. Fluorescents come in size from 12 inches to 8 feet long.
Yes the home industry set the pace by installing screw in bases but so what? Too bad! The horse and buggy people cried too. Buy, install and use fluorscents and avoid CFLs. You will come out way ahead.
I agree with you about florescents - I’ve been in business where the costs of anything else for energy use would have been prohibitive.
The hippies thing is just a label we apply to greens for comic effect and because it annoys them. But mostly because it annoys them.
Perhaps I was not clear…I am talking about fluorescents, NOT CFLs and I do agree with you about the evil of government mandates.
The last time I saw a hippie was about 40 years ago and I do not understand recent comments about hippies. They disappeared long ago.
My point is that choices have not disappeared!
Incandescents are a poor choice and always have been. Fluorescents come in size from 12 inches to 8 feet long.
Yes the home industry set the pace by installing screw in bases but so what? Too bad! The horse and buggy people cried too. Buy, install and use fluorscents and avoid CFLs. You will come out way ahead.
I agree with you about florescents - I’ve been in business where the costs of anything else for energy use would have been prohibitive.
The hippies thing is just a label we apply to greens for comic effect and because it annoys them. But mostly because it annoys them.
bgarrett, I don’t know if it would surprise people or not that the genius and works of Nikola Tesla, from what I have seen over the years, has more or less been stripped from education in schools. Heck, I remember arguing with my Radio-TV professor about why Tesla wasn’t even mentioned in our study book when it came to who invented radio. My professor did agree with me, but the masses reading that classroom book and studying for tests on it will never hear Tesla’s name unless it’s from elsewhere.
bgarrett, I don’t know if it would surprise people or not that the genius and works of Nikola Tesla, from what I have seen over the years, has more or less been stripped from education in schools. Heck, I remember arguing with my Radio-TV professor about why Tesla wasn’t even mentioned in our study book when it came to who invented radio. My professor did agree with me, but the masses reading that classroom book and studying for tests on it will never hear Tesla’s name unless it’s from elsewhere.