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Energy Secretary Steven Chu defends light bulb standards as GOP seeks repeal

DemonMyst said:
Oh and they aren't dumping those old bulbs in the garbage now?? Get real dude!! You arguement is about something that happens anyways?? At least with everyone switching to the new bulbs it will end.. That is what you meant to say right??
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The old bulbs are not full of mercury.
 
buck said:
What percentage of people do you think really do that? Out of the people that I know that use them and have had to replace them, not one has recycled it.
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Which is an arguement to move to the new much safer bulbs isn't it.. Nice job.. You conservatives are arguing against your own position.. Way to go..
 
So in the end we have many options. (or should have). Consumers are much better at picking the best option than the government is. Even if LED's do not have Mercury, bulbs the government has picked as a winner do have Mercury in them.

Provide a cheap, safer, well performing bulb and people will buy them all on their own. Make them expensive, not so well performing and government forced and it's going to be a mess.
 
You know.. I really don't understand the issue here.. How many of you conservatives have a flat panel monitor on your computer or a flat panel televison to watch Nascar on?? What is the difference?? I don't hear you all bitching about that?? I don't hear any of you complaining about any new technology?? Who here has an I-Pod?? Or an I-Phone?? Are you going to get your panties in a bunch when they upgrade and force you to by a new one??

OMG!! The light bulb finally got an upgrade!! It is safer, uses less electricity, burns cooler, lasts longer, and comes in an assorted shapes and sizes.. What are you people complaining about.. What is wrong with saving electricity?? What is wrong with saving your self money??

For those of you that haven't been to the store in like 5 years.. They have the new LED ones that look just like regular light bulbs for lamp shades and stuff.. This technology has been around for over a decade.. I switched years ago..

There is nothing wrong with this law.. There is nothing wrong with helping people along to save themselves some money.. Not to mention help decrease load on our power grid that republicans don't want to spend the money upgrading and repairing.. Pretty soon you won't have a choice.. Some stores already don't even carry the older incendecent bulbs.. Kinda like VCR and DVD.. Did we really have a choice?? I don't see to many VCR's on the market right now do you?? Same with televisions and computer components.. We either stay ahead of the technology curve or get left behind..
 
1Perry said:
So in the end we have many options. (or should have). Consumers are much better at picking the best option than the government is. Even if LED's do not have Mercury, bulbs the government has picked as a winner do have Mercury in them. .
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You arguement is moot.. How many fluorescent lamps are used in the work place?? How many have been used in the last 40 years?? Get a clue dude.. The amount used in the little single socket bulb is tiny compared to a standard office size lamp.. Which we have been using for decades..

So.. Your arguement is simply meaningless.. Seriously.. Get a clue.. At least think through your arguements..
 
DemonMyst said:
You know.. I really don't understand the issue here.. How many of you conservatives have a flat panel monitor on your computer or a flat panel televison to watch Nascar on?? What is the difference?? I don't hear you all bitching about that?? I don't hear any of you complaining about any new technology?? Who here has an I-Pod?? Or an I-Phone?? Are you going to get your panties in a bunch when they upgrade and force you to by a new one??
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The reason you don't understand is because you are evading the point and actually making the point for others. Who bought flat panel monitors when they first came out? A few people who always have to have the next new thing before anyone else. Now that they have been out awhile and prices have come down and the advantages can be clearly seen, many more are buying them.

The government did not have to make regular monitors illegal to get this to happen. All new technology happens this way. Before long hardly anyone will have a landline phone in their home. It's not because the government made them illegal.

If these new bulbs are truely better, people will choose them all on their own. The government forcing people to buy them will only keep the costs higher.

OMG!! The light bulb finally got an upgrade!! It is safer, uses less electricity, burns cooler, lasts longer, and comes in an assorted shapes and sizes.. What are you people complaining about.. What is wrong with saving electricity?? What is wrong with saving your self money??
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As has been pointed out here, there is no clear indication at their current costs that they are saving everyone money.

For those of you that haven't been to the store in like 5 years.. They have the new LED ones that look just like regular light bulbs for lamp shades and stuff.. This technology has been around for over a decade.. I switched years ago..
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But that type of lighting does not meet everyones need.

There is nothing wrong with this law.. There is nothing wrong with helping people along to save themselves some money.. Not to mention help decrease load on our power grid that republicans don't want to spend the money upgrading and repairing.. Pretty soon you won't have a choice.. Some stores already don't even carry the older incendecent bulbs.. Kinda like VCR and DVD.. Did we really have a choice?? I don't see to many VCR's on the market right now do you?? Same with televisions and computer components.. We either stay ahead of the technology curve or get left behind..
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Yes we had a choice and we freely made it on our own.
 
DemonMyst said:
You know.. I really don't understand the issue here.. How many of you conservatives have a flat panel monitor on your computer or a flat panel televison to watch Nascar on?? What is the difference?? I don't hear you all bitching about that?? I don't hear any of you complaining about any new technology?? Who here has an I-Pod?? Or an I-Phone?? Are you going to get your panties in a bunch when they upgrade and force you to by a new one??

OMG!! The light bulb finally got an upgrade!! It is safer, uses less electricity, burns cooler, lasts longer, and comes in an assorted shapes and sizes.. What are you people complaining about.. What is wrong with saving electricity?? What is wrong with saving your self money??

For those of you that haven't been to the store in like 5 years.. They have the new LED ones that look just like regular light bulbs for lamp shades and stuff.. This technology has been around for over a decade.. I switched years ago..

There is nothing wrong with this law.. There is nothing wrong with helping people along to save themselves some money.. Not to mention help decrease load on our power grid that republicans don't want to spend the money upgrading and repairing.. Pretty soon you won't have a choice.. Some stores already don't even carry the older incendecent bulbs.. Kinda like VCR and DVD.. Did we really have a choice?? I don't see to many VCR's on the market right now do you?? Same with televisions and computer components.. We either stay ahead of the technology curve or get left behind..
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Is the government forcing everyone to get a new iPad or iPhone??? Did the government force anyone to buy a DVD player instead of a VCR player??

I love LED bulbs, but they are outrageously expensive right now. Will they come down in price?? Of course they will. But for now, you'll have a hard time convincing a single mother of three that makes $8/hour that she has to buy a $20 LED bulb instead of a .49 cent incandescent.
 
DemonMyst said:
You arguement is moot.. How many fluorescent lamps are used in the work place?? How many have been used in the last 40 years?? Get a clue dude.. The amount used in the little single socket bulb is tiny compared to a standard office size lamp.. Which we have been using for decades..

So.. Your arguement is simply meaningless.. Seriously.. Get a clue.. At least think through your arguements..
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I have no clue what you were railing about. WHat in the world flourescent lights used in industrial situations have to do with lights used in my home has missed me.
 
1Perry said:
So changing on their own isn't good enough for you?
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Its not good enough. If we want to reduce pollution, everybody must invest in it, not just the people who want to.
 
DontDoIt said:
Ill use whatever light bulbs I want. Whats next, I have to buy a green car?
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Yes, that is next. And you will be told what mattresses to sleep on, what to eat for breakfast, what you can drink and when you can drink it, how your vegetables are raised, what you can plant in your front yard, what you can read, watch and think. In fact much of this has happened already so governments telling you what light bulbs you can or cannot use in your home is just another notch in their ever-growing belt. And, as you can read on this thread, many people like the idea.

It apparently doesn't take very long to make sheep out of a previously free people.
 
DontDoIt said:
Ill use whatever light bulbs I want. Whats next, I have to buy a green car?
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I hope so. If the car you're driving still pollutes our land and air and we have an alternative that's faster, uses only green fuels, stronger, safer and better in every way possible, I certainly hope the government bans the old ones.
 
Dezaad said:
Its not good enough. If we want to reduce pollution, everybody must invest in it, not just the people who want to.
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If it does what it says, everyone will. You do realize that by getting on your computer than you are adding to the pollution right? (and I do mean literally)
 
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I don't really understand what is wrong with energy efficiency standards. They started under the Reagan administration, conservatives. Stop whining about this crap.
 
Khayyam Communique said:
I don't really understand what is wrong with energy efficiency standards. They started under the Reagan administration, conservatives. Stop whining about this crap.
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You really don't have an inquiring mind, do you Khayembii Communique, and how this sort of power might be abused.

The government tells you which light bulbs to buy and you buy them, trusting that they are making the air that you breath cleaner, securing what's left of the o-zone layer, the seas from rising and 'saving the planet' and generally preventing a global catastrophe in doing so. You trust that no business leaders such as Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric, Al Gore inc. or any self interested politicians had a hand in any of this. Trust can be such a wondrous thing.
 
Tettsuo said:
I hope so. If the car you're driving still pollutes our land and air and we have an alternative that's faster, uses only green fuels, stronger, safer and better in every way possible, I certainly hope the government bans the old ones.
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I certainly Hope you do the world a favor........your a pathetic excuse for an American.......
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Khayembii Communique said:
I don't really understand what is wrong with energy efficiency standards. They started under the Reagan administration, conservatives. Stop whining about this crap.
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So your saying you were too stupid to pick out your own light bulbs and you need government to do it for you.........
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DemonMyst said:
You arguement is moot.. How many fluorescent lamps are used in the work place?? How many have been used in the last 40 years?? Get a clue dude.. The amount used in the little single socket bulb is tiny compared to a standard office size lamp.. Which we have been using for decades..

So.. Your arguement is simply meaningless.. Seriously.. Get a clue.. At least think through your arguements..
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30 years ago my crew went through a 750,000 office building and replaced every fluorescent bulb in it to Energy Savers. Yes, they worked. I know they haven't stopped improving them since then. We also set up a 3 year replacement program, to keep older tubes from using too much energy.
 
Polotick said:
30 years ago my crew went through a 750,000 office building and replaced every fluorescent bulb in it to Energy Savers. Yes, they worked. I know they haven't stopped improving them since then. We also set up a 3 year replacement program, to keep older tubes from using too much energy.
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It was under government orders right? Because there is no way anyone would have done this on their own.
 
danarhea said:
The House rears it's bat**** crazy head again. Who is for more efficient light bulbs? Consumers, and yes, even the light bulb manufacturers. Who is against it? Energy companies who want to charge you for using more electricity, and who have House Republicans in their back pocket. But did we ever think they didn't?

These Republicans who want to empower the Kochs of the world cite Constitutionality of the new law. However, since the Commerce Clause gives Congress exclusive power over trade activities among the states, this law is indeed Constitutional. Not only that, but will save consumers 81 billion dollars a year, which is money that won't be going into the pockets of energy companies. No wonder Republicans hate this law.

I predict that this bill will die in the Senate, and deservedly so.

Article is here.
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you liberal you.
 
1Perry said:
It was under government orders right? Because there is no way anyone would have done this on their own.
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Absolutely not. It was under the company long term saving policy, instituted by the Chief Engineer. It was only one of many policies that were instituted. We instituted a computer system to maintain kilowatt hours under X, because the electric company got slap happy about billing insane amounts for exceeding a set number of kilowatt hours, called peak demand billing.

We had things programmed to automatically shut down if we started approaching that number, and that and all of our other programs saved the company roughly $2 Million a year.

There was a time when Americans didn't need to be spoon fed what was good for them.
 
Okay, my last sentence looks like I think we should be told every detail, I don't. The Myth of American Freedom™ is openly disappearing now. Perhaps if the Feds did their job instead of meddling in the daily affairs of the citizens we wouldn't be in the lousy shape that this country is now.
 
Badmutha said:
So your saying you were too stupid to pick out your own light bulbs and you need government to do it for you.........
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How many bureaucrats does it take to change a light bulb?

A follow-up question might be, "How many politicians does it take to convince a nation of over 300 million people that they don't know which is the best light bulb to buy?"
 
You know one of the reasons that China is kicking our as in terms of economic growth? Its not lower taxes that's for sure, its that if something is their country's best interest, they mandate it. For example, one of the reasons why their cities air is so noxious is all the 2 stroke mopeds, so the Chinese government mandated that all mopeds sold and licensed would have to be either 4 stroke or electric. They did not have a bunch of nutters in their "people's congress" that argued against the mandate and for giving consumers the choice of buying a 2 stroke moped. They knew 2 stroke mopeds belched out copious amounts of noxious fumes, they knew it was bad for the country, so they just made a decision and stuck with it.

Now, I am not saying that we should adopt some fully totalitarian government like China's. What I am saying is that is our competition. Our competition does not give a rat's ass about consumer choice when that choice is not in the best interest of their country. Our competition will not go to war to benefit its domestic energy industry. Our competition does not argue about consumer choice when setting fuel efficiency standards. They are not going to go to war just so Mr. Wang can have the choice of driving a gas guzzling SUV. They don't give a **** about Mr. Wang being able to drive a yuppie status symbol when its not in the best interest of their country. Anytime our competition sees an opportunity to increase energy efficiency and thus their economic competitiveness they mandate it. Folks, that is our competition right now, that's how they roll, and that's one of the reason's why they are kicking our ass in terms of economic growth.

Once again, I am not arguing in favor of a totalitarian government like China's. I am just saying that if China thought they could save energy by banning the sale of incandescent bulbs, they would do it, and they would sit back and laugh at how stupid we were for arguing about it.
 
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