Light bulb ban

ART6 · 29-05-2008 05:45PM #1

Continuing with my curiousity about bizarre regulations in this country, I have read for a while about Gorgeous Gormley planning to ban incandescent light bulbs from January 2009. From then on everyone has to buy energy saving bulbs containing mercury. Meanwhile, the EU plans to ban the export of products containing mercury from March 2011.

The EU, apparently, has told the Irish government that the ban might be unworkable, since under the EU free trade rules there is nothing to stop a retailer simply importing incandescent bulbs from suppliers in another member state where they are not banned.

All very confusing, but on face value it would appear that from next year we will not be able to buy incandescent bulbs, and flourescents containing mercury cannot be imported from another country from 2011. Personally I am going to spend the next two years accumulating a large stock of candles and working out how to render down next door's cat for oil for my oil lamps:D

29-05-2008 05:51PM

ART6 wrote: »

Personally I am going to spend the next two years accumulating a large stock of candles and working out how to render down next door's cat for oil for my oil lamps:D

But then you'll have the greens after you for adding to air pollution and the Greenhouse Effect? And what about those looking out for the care and treatment of the kitty?

Saint_Mel · 29-05-2008 06:06PM

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

But then you'll have the greens after you for adding to air pollution and the Greenhouse Effect? And what about those looking out for the care and treatment of the kitty?

Has the Minister for Health brought up any concerns regarding reports that these new lightbulbs can have an adverse affect on people suffering from Lupus?

29-05-2008 06:20PM

I'd love to see a CFL bulb work in an oven!
There are certain curcumstances when standard incancescent bulbs are the best choice, short duration & full brightness use, in cupboards, for example

Mossy Monk · 29-05-2008 06:20PM

ART6 wrote: »

The EU, apparently, has told the Irish government that the ban might be unworkable, since under the EU free trade rules there is nothing to stop a retailer simply importing incandescent bulbs from suppliers in another member state where they are not banned.

But then we can import marijuana from Holland?

DublinWriter · 29-05-2008 06:24PM

ART6 wrote: »

All very confusing, but on face value it would appear that from next year we will not be able to buy incandescent bulbs, and flourescents containing mercury cannot be imported from another country from 2011.

...then in 2012 the enforced Granola eating begins.

thelordofcheese · 29-05-2008 06:50PM

Saint_Mel wrote: »

Has the Minister for Health brought up any concerns regarding reports that these new lightbulbs can have an adverse affect on people suffering from Lupus?

Please, It's never lupus.....

String · 29-05-2008 06:55PM

So I guess this means the prices are going to rocket sky high? €5 blubs anyone?

RandolphEsq · 29-05-2008 10:29PM

The maufacturers of these new 'energy efficient' bulbs are probably licking their lips at the vast income they will now receive. Once again this 'energy efficiency' bull **** gets tied in with Global Warming yet the two are not related.
We are being taken for mugs by allowing ourselves to be confused on the (seperate) issues of Global Warming and energy conservation.

zilog_jones · 29-05-2008 10:51PM

ART6 wrote: »

Continuing with my curiousity about bizarre regulations in this country, I have read for a while about Gorgeous Gormley planning to ban incandescent light bulbs from January 2009. From then on everyone has to buy energy saving bulbs containing mercury. Meanwhile, the EU plans to ban the export of products containing mercury from March 2011.

Is that just banning exports from the EU or what? I'd say most of our light bulbs are made within the EU.

Before anyone goes on about mercury being bad, the amount of mercury in CFL bulbs is offset significantly by the reduction of mercury emissions from coal power plants - don't ask me how they emit mercury, it just happens

There are certain curcumstances when standard incancescent bulbs are the best choice, short duration & full brightness use, in cupboards, for example

Crap colour temperature too. All greeny-bluey - yuck.

Capt'n Midnight · 30-05-2008 12:40AM

cupboards / cars should use LED's in the future

JangoFett · 30-05-2008 02:56AM

The energy efficient "bull****" as someone called it is a good thing. It IS about time we started thinking about being efficient! And light bulbs is a tiny way to do it, so why not try do it?

Sure those bulbs will be banned in a few years but by then a safer form will come along!

ART6 · 30-05-2008 06:26AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd love to see a CFL bulb work in an oven!
There are certain curcumstances when standard incancescent bulbs are the best choice, short duration & full brightness use, in cupboards, for example

Same thought occurred to me. Even if they would work there, would you really want to put something containing mercury in your oven or microwave close to your food? The same government banned mercury thermometers because of the perceived danger that the stuff might get ingested. And what about car headlights? If the ban applies to them too, there will be no more flashing your lights as they'll take too long to light up, and since CFLs don't fit we'll all be driving blind in the dark anyway:)

JangoFett wrote: »

The energy efficient "bull****" as someone called it is a good thing. It IS about time we started thinking about being efficient! And light bulbs is a tiny way to do it, so why not try do it?

Sure those bulbs will be banned in a few years but by then a safer form will come along!

Strangely enough I am inclined to agree. Research has suggested that if there were no incandescents there would be a need for something like twenty fewer power stations in greater Europe, but are CFLs the way to do it? LEDs are being developed rapidly and there are now manufacturers who produce LED arrays that are smaller than incandescents for the same light output, use less power than CFLs, last much longer, and don't contain any mercury. I would go with that without needing to be winged at by The Green Gormley and his bike!:D

Caoimhín · 30-05-2008 06:59AM

Gormless and his crew are just a bunch of leftie, communist, pinko hippies who will have us all living in caves eating tofu and being homosexual.
C*unts, im going to burn a tyre just for that.

javaboy · 30-05-2008 07:51AM

caoibhin wrote: »

Gormless and his crew are just a bunch of leftie, communist, pinko hippies who will have us all living in caves eating tofu and being homosexual.
C*unts, im going to burn a tyre just for that.

I for one welcome our new leftie communist pinko hippy homosexual tofu eating overlords.

:rolleyes:

Blisterman · 30-05-2008 09:29AM

Solution:

Buy energy saving bulbs which 'don't' contain mercury.

Jesus Christ, you guys are making a big deal out of nothing.

30-05-2008 09:37AM

Just wait 'til OLED technology matures then hopefully we will have "wallpaper" lights.

Stephen · 30-05-2008 10:16AM

ART6 wrote: »

And what about car headlights? If the ban applies to them too, there will be no more flashing your lights as they'll take too long to light up, and since CFLs don't fit we'll all be driving blind in the dark anyway:)

Most car headlights use halogen bulbs or HID's . Not the same as the incandescent yokes in your house.

30-05-2008 10:22AM

JangoFett wrote: »

Sure those bulbs will be banned in a few years but by then a safer form will come along!

If they are mass produced in China with questionable materials by workers earning one euro per day?

Sherifu · 30-05-2008 10:26AM

Not a very bright idea.

Steve_o · 30-05-2008 10:36AM

Sherifu wrote: »

Not a very bright idea.

I'm gonna quit my job and start making candles, I'll be filthy rich, you'll see!!!

30-05-2008 10:40AM

Sherifu wrote: »

Not a very bright idea.

No light bulbs going off!

EamonnKeane · 30-05-2008 11:06AM

JangoFett wrote: »

The energy efficient "bull****" as someone called it is a good thing. It IS about time we started thinking about being efficient! And light bulbs is a tiny way to do it, so why not try do it?

Note the phrase "tiny". It's like pissing on a bonfire. If global warming is caused by humans, there is nothing we can do except move to Greenland.

Capt'n Midnight · 30-05-2008 07:20PM

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

If they are mass produced in China with questionable materials by workers earning one euro per day?

That's €7 a week

flanum · 30-05-2008 07:21PM

hmm? Energy Saving Bulbs? (ESB.. Subliminal maybe)?

meh, ill just cross the border to clogher market and buy incandescants there!

echter · 30-05-2008 07:37PM

Those bulbs hurt my eyes, they give me headaches, everything has a yellow hue, they take about 15 seconds to start up, you need to open a window and use gloves to clean them up if they break, they have mercury in them and they look crap.

The_Minister · 30-05-2008 08:35PM

echter wrote: »

Those bulbs hurt my eyes, they give me headaches, everything has a yellow hue, they take about 15 seconds to start up, you need to open a window and use gloves to clean them up if they break, they have mercury in them and they look crap.

+1,000,000,000,000,000

Try reading with them - it's agony.

The reason they hurt your eyes is that while a traditional lightbulb emits a constant stream of light, CFLs flicker constantly, just too fast for you to see. As they get older, the flicker slows down, which, while still too fast to be concious of, is slow enough to hurt your eyes.

ongarite · 10-10-2008 07:50AM

The light bulb ban is going ahead according to Gormley. From March next year, you will unable to purchase traditional bulb over 75W with phasing out of rest by 2012.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1010/energy.html

Even with new energy saving bulbs, they don't give off the same spectrum and quality of light as traditional bulb.
What about GU10 spotlights that everyone has now instead of single bulb hanging from ceiling? The LED replacement style for them are very expensive, have poor light spectrum & angle of light emitted.

Saint_Mel · 10-10-2008 08:24AM

Ban The Bulb!

Overheal · 10-10-2008 08:27AM

DrMorphine wrote: »

So I guess this means the prices are going to rocket sky high? €5 blubs anyone?

thats already the case for these energy friendly bulbs. fortunately theyve gotten to the stage over the last few years that they give off almost the same warmth as an incandescent bulb - theyre no longer very fluorescenty.

brosps · 10-10-2008 08:33AM

echter wrote: »

Those bulbs hurt my eyes, they give me headaches, everything has a yellow hue, they take about 15 seconds to start up, you need to open a window and use gloves to clean them up if they break, they have mercury in them and they look crap.

you look crap you gobmachine

Light bulb ban

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