By The Way...

Wednesday, January 31, 2007
3:46:00 PM EST
Hearing Nothing at the moment


An assemblyperson in California has it in for the lightbulb, and he has a sense of humor about it, too:

A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent lightbulbs as part of California's groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

The "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act" would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

I love the title of that proposed act. Just love it.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about forcing people to make the switch, but I will say that we've signed on to the compact florescent bulbs in a big way. As the conventional lightbulbs in the house burn out, we're replacing them with the CF bulbs, which both suck less energy and last much much longer. I have a CF bulb in the lamp on my desk; I usually replaced the conventional bulb three or four times a year, but this bulb I haven't replaced since 2005, and probably won't have to replace for a couple more years. That's a pretty good return on investment. So you could say I'm sold on CF bulbs.

Do you still buy incandescent lightbulbs? Or have you been making the switch?


Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

This entry has 6 comments: (Add your own)

• #6 Comment from lurkynat 
  2/1/07 1:45 PM | Permalink

  lol! good one John!
  Sometimes it jsut doesn't add up
  nat
• #5 Comment from kaydeejay5449 
  2/1/07 12:48 AM | Permalink

  I live in So. Calif. and I'm married to an architect.  You cannot  believe the energy restrictions on new construction!  On a kitchen remodel, for example, 1/2 the lighting must be fluorescent (high efficeincy) and the other 1/2 can be the old fashioned light bulb.  The new energy codes are very strict so this proposal does not surprise me at all.
  Kathy
  http://journals.aol.com/kaydeejay5449/ALittleLeftofCenter/
• #4 Comment from monponsett 
  2/1/07 12:13 AM | Permalink

  The funny part? That still trails "steroid-addled Austrian governor" as the silliest political thing in that state.
• #3 Comment from plittle 
  1/31/07 10:44 PM | Permalink

    I have actually had a three-pack of CFs in my cupboard for over a year. I haven't used them, mostly because I was afraid I'd hate the light they give off. we'll see, I guess.
  -Paul
• #2 Comment from dpoem 
  1/31/07 9:29 PM | Permalink

  Due to a medical condition, I spent a lot of time getting scorched in a little box filled with lots of fluorescent bulbs, and the last thing I want is to fill my house with that lifeless, cold, sterile light.  Incandescence is much warmer and I think I work better beneath it.  
  
  But, I do have CF bulbs in my back stairwell and in my laundry room, but I'd never use them in a room where I spend a lot of time.  
  
  Yeah...  I'm odd.
  
  -Dan
  http://journals.aol.com/dpoem/TheWisdomofaDistractedMind/
  

Show all comments (1 more)