Saturday, May 09, 2009

Lightbulb Menace - The War Goes On

Not content with killing off the hundred-watt incandescent bulb (to be replaced by a mercury-filled one - it's all about the environment, you see) - they've declared war on pearl and frosted bulbs.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs said: 'From September 1 it will be illegal for manufacturers to sell frosted incandescent bulbs to EU retailers. Anyone who has them in stock can still sell them off."
I understand the reasoning. The frosting cuts down light emission, making them less efficient. As of course does a lampshade. How long before the EU bans those ?

As Livimg Streets (formerly the Pedestrians Association - I do hope they're not another fake charity) put it :

When you think about a romantic dinner, what's one of the first things that comes to mind? Probably candle light. Now imagine a scene in a prison cell, in which somebody is being interrogated - what comes to mind now? It's probably the harsh bare light bulb. Lighting affects our mood. It can help us feel relaxed, friendly, warm. Or it can make us feel agitated, nervous, cold.

3 comments:

Stan said...

Eventually the truth of "man-made climate change" will be revealed - simply because it will become self-evident that it doesn't exist (and probably quite soon too). When that happens I hope we can get rid of all these stupid regulations which serve no purpose.

I also hope that we will be more considerate towards those who perpetrated this myth than they have been towards us.

Anonymous said...

"From September 1 it will be illegal for manufacturers to sell frosted incandescent bulbs to EU retailers."

Stan: "When that happens I hope we can get rid of all these stupid regulations which serve no purpose."

Note in the first quote this is an EU directive, EU directives are ratchet like, they are never rolled back.

Halogenica said...

Frosted bulbs do not give less light than clear bulbs. The only reason they are banned is to force people to buy CLFs instead.

Note that frosted retrofit energy saving halogen bulbs will also be banned to in September, even though they save up to 30% without having the many quality problems that CFLs have.

Does this seem like a rational and objective decision or one pushed through by vested interests?