Re: Fluorescent Bulbs Are Known to Zap Domestic Tranquillity; Energy-Savers a Turnoff for Wives

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 4 Jun 2007 08:42:59 -0400, "Robert Green"
<ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<092dnYLZgpxBlfnbnZ2dnUVZ_ozinZ2d@xxxxxxx>:

>Marc_F_Hult has returned!
>
>Where have you been, amigo?  Spain again?  How was the flight?

How do you know I didn't catch the zeronetcarbon, "Farewell To The Gulf
Stream Sail" with a bunch of pre-nostalgic enviros in anticipation of the
abrupt change in that global heat conveyor belt ? ;-)

One stop was in London where we stayed in a hotel in which each and every
light I saw was either a conventional or compact fluorescents with CFLs
overwhelming dominant. There is no law or regulation requiring this. It is
driven by economics. The practical aspects for me as consumer were
transparent and completely satisfactory. This 'data point' directly
contradicts several of your and Dave's  unsubstantiated assertions on (eg)
market factors.

( One thing that differentiated Bush-I from Shrub is that Bush-I had
first-hand  knowledge about the world outside the US. But even though he was
very wealthy, was US Ambassador to the UN, Head of CIA, personal friends
with foreign oil barons, and VP of the US, AIUI, Bush-I never once took
Shrub outside the US. Speaks volumes about family dynamics.  Nor did Shrub
ever take himself outside the US besides, IIRC, to a Mexican border town and
to a Caribbean island. Mindboggling. And IMO, there's a lesson here for
isolated, monoglot pontificators in comp.home.automation.)

Another stop for us (for business reasons unrelated to anything with this
topic) was in Newcastle -- of the "carrying coals to Newcastle" expression.
Now, of course, if you do want coal in Newcastle, you _do_ have to carry it
there because the coal industry has disappeared. Which speaks to the
accuracy/usefulness of some other c.h.a. bla-bla-bla on the topic of coal.

If you have an interest in an international perspective, consider reading
this BBC report ("Lighting Is The Key To Energy Savings") on the
International Energy Agency's June 2006 report :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5128478.stm

QUOTE:

	"Nineteen percent of global electricity generation is taken
	for lighting - that's more than is produced by hydro or
	nuclear stations, and about the same that's produced
	from natural gas,"

and

	"Energy-efficient lighting can seem such an obviously good
	idea that it is hard to comprehend why it is not used
	everywhere.

 	"EIGHT FOR THE SCRAPHEAP

		Incandescent bulbs
		Low-efficiency fluorescent tubes
		High-loss "ballasts" for fluorescent tubes
		Halogen uplighters
		High-loss halogen transformers
		Mercury discharge lamps (often used in street lighting)
		Low-efficiency vehicle lighting
		Fuel-based lighting in developing countries

	"There is no single panacea," said Dr Waide. "What we suggest
	is setting up a comprehensive set of policies.

	"There is a strong case for introducing lighting measures
	into building codes. Currently codes have a lot of energy
	measures in them, but with few exceptions there aren't
	specific provisions for lighting."

	"Such codes could, for example, mandate the use of highly
	efficient fluorescent tubes and ballasts, the devices which
	regulate input voltages for the lamps; at worst these can
	consume 40% of the energy going into the system.

[ Note: US, Canada and UK and others began this years ago.
http://www.epa.gov/EPA-IMPACT/2000/September/Day-19/i24004.htm
http://www.aboutlightingcontrols.org/education/papers/ballast_law.shtml
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Regs/English/950082_e.htm
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2001/20013316.htm
Some complainers are jist now noticing.  This is a wholly to-be-expected
facet of consumer environmental education. Folks that facilitate spreading
the word -- even if they make negative statements and make themselves
ridiculous in the process --  are actually helpful ;-)
So thanks! ... Marc_F_Hult ]


	"China, the IEA reports, has recently developed such codes.
	If they are implemented in all new build, this would "...offset
	the need for a new Three Gorges Dam project every eight years".

	"For the individual, the most obvious switch to make is from
	 incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent systems (CFLs),
	marketed in many countries as "energy-saving bulbs".

END QUOTE

HTH ... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org