Incandescent Light Bulb Insanity and the Groucho Marx Republicans

[NNN0LHI]

http://swampland.time.com/2011/07/12/incandescent-light-bulb-insanity-and-the-groucho-marx-republicans/

By Michael Grunwald Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The William Wallaces of the Republican Party are defending our freedom again, this time our freedom to buy inefficient light bulbs. The GOP-controlled House is about to pass a bill to repeal the lighting efficiency standards that Congress passed and President Bush signed in 2007, standards that the lighting industry actually supported. The federal government sets energy-efficiency standards for all kinds of products, but Republicans have decided that these are particularly tyrannical, because they ban all incandescent bulbs. Thomas Edison invented incandescent bulbs! What’s next: banning rotary-dial telephones?

Except that Congress didn’t ban incandescent bulbs. It simply required them to use less energy, and manufacturers are responding with a new generation of more efficient incandescents. Say what you want about that biker dude who got killed when he fell off his bike at a rally protesting mandatory helmet laws, but at least those laws were really mandatory. Did Republicans even bother to read the bills before deciding it was evidence of an evil socialist nanny-state conspiracy?

Why, yes. In fact, a Republican wrote the bill.

The lighting standards were the brainchild of GOP Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan, who explained them thusly in a press release at the time: snip

You won’t find that press release on Upton’s website, because he’s now chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and he’s now helping to repeal his own legislation. But Daniel Weiss of the Center for American Progress found it. As Weiss points out, Upton publicly defended the light-bulb standards as recently as 2009, but after the midterms, he changed his tune after Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck tried to mount a campaign to deny him the gavel.

[damntexdem]

1. Any idiocy that fits their silly views, or seems to oppose Dems.

And so much the better if it hurts the U.S., and even better, the world.

[spanone]

2. science denial enters the bulb world

[Maraya1969]

3. Now all the Glen Beck's of the world can spend their extra time changing burnt

out old fashioned light bulbs and turning the AC up and down depending on how bright the damn room is.

The best thing I love about the new light bulbs is how long they last. I think some people have forgotten just how many light bulbs they actually have in their house. They will find out soon enough if they go on this old fashioned incandescent kick and spend their recreational time changing damn light bulbs.

[Wait Wut]

4. Here's a thought.

How can we convince the right that oil and gas are GOOD for the environment? As soon as we can do that, we'll be headed for a greener tomorrow. "Recent findings...smog is GOOD for you!!!"

[jberryhill]

5. Thomas Edison was a Founding Father

so clearly this regulation is unpatriotic.

[kelly1mm]

6. Damn, there goes my retirement plan. I have over 400 4-packs of the incandecents

just waiting for the prices to rise after the ban goes in! This sucks!

I do have the bulbs, I like them better. Should have enough for about 200 years or so. Got them with coupons for negative 50 cents a pack if you are wondering.

[madinmaryland]

7. Funny, but there a some DUer's that are pissed that the government passed this law.

[lighthouse10]

8. Why Light Bulb Regulations are wrong

Light bulb and other energy efficiency regulations are wrong in that they change product characteristics, unnecessarily reduce choice and don't deal with the problem
http://ceolas.net/#cc21x


Only c 2% of grid electricity is saved from regulations
(DOE data as referenced http://ceolas.net/#li171x )

Light bulbs don't burn coal and they don't release CO2 gas
There are many better ways to reduce energy use in generation (coal 30-35% efficient)
grid upgrades, and alternative consumption measures as explained on the website