Saturday, December 22, 2007

First it was toilets, now it's light bulbs

Gore bulb
The last time the Donks controlled Congress we got the Gore-Toilet (the wimp flusher that saved no water because it required extra flushes and led to toilet smuggling). Well, the Donks are back in control of Congress and guess what? Now it's Gore-bulbs:
You know the energy bill that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law today? Tucked into the legislation is a provision that mandates the phase-out of the 125-year-old incandescent bulb in the next four to 12 years in favor of a new generation of trendy, supposedly energy-efficient Gorebulbs.
No one bothered to check the fine print at the White House?

These feel-good dim bulbs give you crappy lighting, don’t live up to their longevity promises, and are a pain in the neck to dispose of–but they sure make enviro-nitwits and Big Greenie water-carriers feel good about themselves.

I tried the compact fluorescents some years back because I have some ceiling fixtures in the out buildings whose bulbs are a pain to change and I liked the idea of 5-year life. Well, despite the package claims they were noticeably dimmer than incandescents and lasted no longer. When they burned out, I threw them in the trash like I and 99% of the citizenry do with all burned out fluorescents. Now we're supposed to save them for some sort of hazardous waste disposal. Sounds like a heck of a plan to me.

Still there is some good news. Most global warming profiteering is for the swells like Al Gore, but here's a way for the little guy to cash in. I'm just going to clear some space and stock up with cases of incandescents. I'll see ya on eBay in a few years.