Will they try to ban SUVs next?

Nanny state government in action right here in my beloved state (controlled by Democrats) of NC:

RALEIGH — How many legislators does it take to unscrew an incandescent light bulb?

A majority. But it takes one to get it started, and that’s what Greensboro Rep. Pricey Harrison is trying to do.

Harrison, a Democrat, has authored legislation that would ban the sale of the familiar household bulbs in North Carolina on Jan. 1, 2016. The bulbs, she says, are inefficient energy hogs that can be replaced by more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

“I sort of feel like we’re going this way anyway,” Harrison said. “The market may drive this.”

Although there have been improvements over the past century, the basic design of incandescent bulbs has been pretty much the same since the late 1800s. They produce light by running electric current through a filament, typically made of tungsten in most modern bulbs.

Compact fluorescent bulbs can screw into fixtures originally designed for incandescent bulbs. They cost more per bulb but last longer and use less energy to produce the same amount of light. But they contain mercury, a concern when the bulbs burn out.

A “concern”? Um, yeah. That would be an understatement.

Who, in part, is pushing this effort?

Measures like Harrison’s are being pushed by several groups and businesses, such as Philips Industries, a company that makes the energy-efficient lighting and incandescent bulbs.

The company claims that making the switch to energy-efficient bulbs could lead to energy savings across the country equivalent to the electricity produced by 80 coal-fired power plants.

Yeah. I’m sure there are altruistic motives behind all this. Not.

Harrison said that she has not heard any opposition to her bill yet.

Hopefully, that will change. If you live in Harrison’s district (57), email her and tell her what you think.

Oh, and by the way, NC is on the way to banning smoking in private businesses now, too.

People in NC apparently love having the government control their lives and personal decisions – that must be the reason they keep electing and re-electing Democrats. $:-\$

10 Responses to "Will they try to ban SUVs next?"

NC Cop says:

March 21, 2007 at 9:12 pm

Methinks Greensboro has more important problems to deal with considering they have city council reps threatening each other and a police dept. under investigation by the state and Feds.
david foster says:

March 21, 2007 at 9:19 pm

There are quite a few people who dislike the light from Compact Fluorescent Lamps, and some even claim that it gives them headaches. There was an extensive discussion of thie a while bsck atAsymmetrical Information.

A few weeks ago, General Electric announced that it has developed an incandescent bulb with energy efficiency almost equal to the CFL but with superior light quality, startup time, and shape factor. Most likely, GE will be lobbying to ensure that laws affecting light bulbs are drafted in terms of efficiency standards rather than specific technology.

For some reason, I can’t make a link work here.
david foster says:

March 21, 2007 at 9:23 pm

OK, here is the link to my post on this, which also includes a further link to the Asymmetrical Information post.
LINK

One other point. The nameplate on my electric oven says “8 KW.” Even if we assume that is a peak rather than an average load and that the average is only half of that, an electric over is till using the equivalent of 40 typical light bulbs worth of power while it is running. A microwave uses much less.

Will regulators next insist that all meals be cooked with microwaves? With a possible once-a-week exception for special occasions?
david foster says:

March 21, 2007 at 9:24 pm

One other point. The nameplate on my electric oven says “8 KW.” Even if we assume that is a peak rather than an average load and that the average is only half of that, an electric over is till using the equivalent of 40 typical light bulbs worth of power while it is running. A microwave uses much less.

Will regulators next insist that all meals be cooked with microwaves? With a possible once-a-week exception for special occasions?

The comments engine just accused me of submitting duplicate comments–it’s about as controlling as Hillary Clinton.
Sister Toldjah says:

March 21, 2007 at 9:27 pm

Booo This blog was compared to Hillary Clinton.

Did you want to email me the other link, David? I’ll post it if you need me to.
david foster says:

March 22, 2007 at 12:03 am

Thanks. The link made it into the second comment.

I doubt that your blog has Hillary-like tendencies–I was thinking more of whoever wrote the code for the comments processor, but probably unfairly so.

There does seem to be a lot of potential in the use of Hillary references in all kinds of amusing contexts…
Leslie says:

March 22, 2007 at 1:28 pm

The best way, as always, to handle this suddenly fashionable lightbulb issue is through the free market. People will gladly buy a more efficient, environmentally friendly lightbulb if it gives off a pleasing light, and will last long enough to justify the increased costs to the consumer.

Once that happens, the traditional lightbulbs will go the way of the horse and buggy and, of course, since the new ones will now be produced in volume, the prices will come down.

Class dismissed.
Severian says:

March 22, 2007 at 1:50 pm

There are quite a few people who dislike the light from Compact Fluorescent Lamps, and some even claim that it gives them headaches.

That’s true, for a lot of people who are sensitive to the fluctuations in brightness associated with fluorescents, it can be troublesome. Plus, even people not overly sensitive to it have problems, they can increase eye strain and such. Also, fluorescents use more toxic chemicals in their construction than regular incandescent light bulbs. This should be an individual decision, once the state starts outlawing incandescent bulbs, look for people to whine about the mercury levels in trash dumps going up, etc. And about the epidemic of eye strain and headaches.
Baklava says:

March 22, 2007 at 3:49 pm

Nuclear Power and ecomic activity versus carbon dioxide output charts.

We actually do VERY well. We do as well as the Netherlands with their tiny cars, public transportation and bicycle riding….. Man we are great.

We could be better if we use more nuclear energy is the point. We don’t have to do the bicycles, tiny cars (less safety), public transportation…. especially if the Algore’s of the world stop emitting 20X more than the Average American (same as BarbStries, Alec Bald, other rich do as I say not as I doers).
Kathy says:

March 24, 2007 at 9:11 pm

Isn’t this just spiffy. I moved to Ralieigh NC 8 years ago and found it refreshing politics compared to Chicago.

Now it’s starting to sound more and more like those idiots in all of the Liberal Cities.

Banning smoking in private businesses and mandating that we use a specific brand of light bulbs indead!

Comments are closed.