I am not sure who came up with the brilliant idea to replace all incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs--it was a Democrat Congress, but President Bush signed it. The law was called the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. California has chosen to be ahead of the curve.
Yesterday's Washington Times reports:
"The cost of illuminating your home is about to go up significantly. Most Americans take for granted that when they flip a switch, darkness immediately gives way to a warm, natural light. That's no longer possible in California, where a regulation that took effect Jan. 1 only allows the sale of harsh, cold compact fluorescents above a certain wattage. Unless the new Congress takes action, the same rules will apply to the rest of the country, beginning next year."
The law in California makes it illegal to sell newly manufactured cheap bulbs that produce a pleasing, natural light of 100 watts or more. The new bulbs the regulation requires will cost anywhere from $2 to $10. You could buy an old-fashioned 60-watt bill for as little as 29 cents!
The article concludes:
"Turning on a dim, harsh fluorescent light demonstrates "concern" for the environment. Forcing everyone to do the same shows an even higher degree of purported enlightenment on the part of lawmakers. Consumers are forced to pay this price as a "carbon" offering to Mother Earth in the hopes that she will favor us with colder weather. We can expect much of the absurdity across the Atlantic to happen here, unless this Congress returns to Americans the freedom to choose a real light bulb."
The other problem with this change is that the Compact Fluorescent bulbs can be hazardous if they break. They contain mercury, and there are very specific instructions for cleaning up the mess if one breaks. The other problem will be people routinely throwing them out when they burn out--polluting landfills in ways that incandescent bulbs do not. This is another example of the unintended consequences of a Congress that in the past few years has consistently overstepped its bounds.
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