tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13433181.post6766035364961623087..comments2023-10-30T12:58:32.122+00:00Comments on The Half Empty Glass: Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01343278585525851259noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13433181.post-7630912069983893562009-09-08T11:29:48.987+01:002009-09-08T11:29:48.987+01:00Incidentally,
The man responsible for the ban,
E...Incidentally,<br /><br />The man responsible for the ban, <br />EU Energy Commisioner Piebalgs, <br />is now responding to protests,<br />defending his ban on his blog <br />by saying it "increases choice"…. <br /><br />Ah, that makes it alright then!<br /><br />See his blog entry<br /><a href="http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/piebalgs/lighting-the-way-to-the-future/" rel="nofollow">http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/piebalgs/lighting-the-way-to-the-future</a><br />and comments...<br />and add your own ;-)Lighthousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08123172670211101092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13433181.post-25915729380088932012009-09-08T11:27:45.428+01:002009-09-08T11:27:45.428+01:00(continued)
Effect on Electricity Bills
If energy...(continued)<br /><br />Effect on Electricity Bills<br />If energy use does indeed fall with light bulb and other proposed efficiency bans,<br />electricity companies make less money,<br />and they’ll simply push up the electricity bills to compensate<br />(especially since power companies often have their own grids with little supply competition) <br />Energy regulators can hardly deny any such cost covering exercise...<br /><br />Energy?<br />There is no shortage of energy.<br />People -not politicians – pay for energy use, and if there was an energy shortage, the price rise would lead to more demand for efficient products anyway – no need to legislate for it.<br /><br /><br />Emissions?<br />Does a light bulb give out any gases?<br />Power stations might not either:<br />Why should emission-free households be denied the use of lighting they obviously want to use?<br />Low emission households already dominate some regions, and will increase everywhere, since emissions will be reduced anyway through the planned use of coal/gas processing technology and/or energy substitution.<br /><br />A direct way to deal with emissions (for all else they contain too, whatever about CO2):<br /><a href="http://www.ceolas.net/#cc10x" rel="nofollow">http://www.ceolas.net/#cc10x</a><br /><br />The Taxation alternative<br />As said, ban on light bulbs is extraordinary, in being on a product safe to use.<br />We are not talking about banning lead paint here.<br /><br />This is simply a ban to reduce the amount of electricity consumption.<br /><br />Even for those who remain pro-ban, taxation to reduce consumption would therefore make much more sense, also since governments can use the income to reduce emissions (home insulation schemes, renewable projects etc) more than any remaining product use causes such problems.<br /><br />A few pounds/euros/dollars light bulb tax that reduces the current sales (EU like the USA 2 billion sales per annum, UK 250-300 million pa)<br />raises future billions, and would retain consumer choice. <br />It could also be revenue neutral, lowering any sales tax on efficient products.<br />http://www.ceolas.net/LightBulbTax.html<br /><br />However, taxation is itself unjustified, it is simply preferable to bans for all concerned.<br /><br />Of course a ban is under way, but supposedly with reviews along the linr of the phase out process, according to the EU banning documentation.<br />Maybe some clown in Brussels will see sense. Maybe not.Lighthousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08123172670211101092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13433181.post-86876504959749339882009-09-08T11:27:01.816+01:002009-09-08T11:27:01.816+01:00If you want to know more about the strange and unp...If you want to know more about the strange and unpublicised politics behind this ban see<br /><a href="http://www.ceolas.net/#li1ax" rel="nofollow">http://www.ceolas.net/#li1ax</a><br /><br />Yes Ian, there certainly is a basic lack of logic<br />to this ban <br />- even if you agree with energy and emission saving objectives.<br /><br />A ban on light bulbs is extraordinary, in being on a product safe to use.<br />We are not talking about banning lead paint here <br />(and light bulbs don't give out CO2 gas - power stations do!)<br /><br />Oddly, as you say, the bulb that might normally be banned (or at least more warned about) is proposed as the replacement!<br /><br />Simple, cheap safe is dumped in favour of complex, expensive and <br />mercury releasing. <br /><br />Now,<br />politicians think one light is as good as another, so an efficient light must be better.<br />This is of course wrong - or no inefficient lights (or other products) would be sold<br />Bright broad spectrum light quality<br />along with small size availability, easy dimmability and use with sensors, quick response in the cols and, for that matter, heat that is not necessarily a waste in temperate climates make up for inefficint disadvantage.<br />"Halogens will be allowed blerat the politicians, at the samer time banning the frosted non-glare ceiling lamps that overwhelmingly people prefer.<br /><br />Europeans, like Americans, choose to buy ordinary light bulbs around 9 times out of 10 (light industry data 2007-8)<br />Banning what people want gives the supposed savings that's good for them - no point in banning an impopular product!<br /><br />If new LED lights -or improved CFLs- are good,<br />people will buy them - no need to ban ordinary light bulbs (little point).<br />If they are not good, people will not buy them - no need to ban ordinary light bulbs (no point).<br /><br />The arrival of the transistor didn't mean that more energy using radio tubes were banned... they were bought less anyway.<br /><br /><br />Supposed savings don't actually hold up, for many reasons:<br />(<a href="http://www.ceolas.net/#li13x" rel="nofollow">http://www.ceolas.net/#li13x</a> onwards <br />about brightness, lifespan, power factor, lifecycle, heat effect of ordinary bulbs, and other referenced research)Lighthousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08123172670211101092noreply@blogger.com