EU set to ban CRT and other "inefficient" devices.

Run_to_da_hills

In another move the EU is set to ban CRT which would cover older television sets and PC monitors. TBH I think this ban is totally unnecessary as most manufacturers have already ceased production of them anyway and it won't take too much longer for existing ones to complete their life expectancy.

Other measures, which come into force next year, include banning washing machines without a cold-wash setting. Cheap but inefficient fridges, freezers and dishwashers will also be banned.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6832330.ece

robtri

before you try scaremongering people here....

can you clarify this ban....

does it mean that everybody who owns one has to throw them or or is it more than likely.... they will abn the sale of these items????

huge difference in what you are saying...
considering CRT tv and monitors aren't really sold, so no difference...
and the older fridges ect... are sold either... so whats your problem with this legislation??

Shiny

I see little or no problem with this either.

carveone

robtri wrote: »

considering CRT tv and monitors aren't really sold, so no difference...
and the older fridges ect... are sold either... so whats your problem with this legislation??

No, what's your problem with not having the legislation. You just said they aren't really sold, so why have legislation making sure they can't be sold. Indeed the Times numbers indicate that 3% of sales are CRT. Meanwhile EU Council reps have to meet and vote on this, generate a blizzard of paper in lots of languages, take plane flights there and back, do some PR handwaving, all for 3%? Bull.

I'm worried because the "EU" (ie: the council, which consists of ours and other government ministers making up legislation whenever they feel like it without due deference to elected government) - kudos to Germany for putting a stop to this recently) is banning products that are not harmful.

And if you object the eco-flag is waved. You're with us or you're with the terrorists. Childish. When will they get to products that you care about. Dryers will be next (and I don't use them therefore I don't care. Right?).

The lightbulb ban is a good example of Green policy at work. Martin Cullen introduced the plastic bag tax. This has generated 160 million euro and given us lots of great alternative to plastic bags, all without banning anything. People get the message and still have a choice. It was a brilliant scheme.

Do the Greens follow this staggering success with a similar roll out for lightbulbs? No. They ban them. Brilliant. They could have built an entire bike lane system on one years tax take from a similar scheme. Instead they have zero tax take and mitigate against people with special needs (but, hey I don't care, doesn't affect me. Right?).

And don't forget that CFL lights are only generally affordable because they're made in China by wage slaves and shipped here by airplane.

This is all eco-theatre. We'll pretend to do something and hopefully that means you'll vote for us again. From the Times numbers, domestic electricity consumption is 7% of an individuals CO2 number. But that's all that governments are targeting. Turn off all your lights and heat and sit in the dark weeping. That still won't save the planet.

And (yes, I'm ranting now), don't forget the old rule about efficiency vs usage. The more efficient a system is, the more people tend to use it, negating some (or all) of the improvements. The classic example is cars - when engines became more efficient, SUVs appeared negating all the efficiencies. I've already noticed this with CFLs - people use more and leave them on all the time. They're eco friendly right?

robtri

carveone wrote: »

No, what's your problem with not having the legislation. You just said they aren't really sold, so why have legislation making sure they can't be sold. Indeed the Times numbers indicate that 3% of sales are CRT. Meanwhile EU Council reps have to meet and vote on this, generate a blizzard of paper in lots of languages, take plane flights there and back, do some PR handwaving, all for 3%? Bull.

I never said I had a problem, my point was to RTDH, making a mountain out of a molehill just to fullfill this scaremongering tatics he always tries...

I agree there are better ways of making this work... but banning their sale is harsh...

carveone

robtri wrote: »

I never said I had a problem, my point was to RTDH, making a mountain out of a molehill just to fullfill this scaremongering tatics he always tries...

I agree there are better ways of making this work... but banning their sale is harsh...

I must say that I was letting go and having a good vent there. I was aggrieved enough about this that I was saying: heck, maybe this is a good reason to vote No in Lisbon. Not on lightbulbs per se, but on the EU producing intolerant populist legislation when local taxation will do the job just fine. Just because most of the population agrees with end result doesn't mean that the means to that end are justified.

But, on analysis, and somewhat to my chagrin, it's a stupid reason to vote No. Especially as EU rulings are our government's rulings anyway and lobbying our own government is the place to start. But this isn't the right forum for that debate!

Of course, this is all politics... In Ireland's case, the wastewater directives were ignored for ages and I'm sure that without the EU commission kicking our ass, we'd still be dumping raw sewage off Howth and other picturesque areas. That's my green issues bit :rolleyes: