Enigin Update - U.S. Energy Efficiency Lighting Law against Personal Freedom?
PERSONAL freedom reaches great lengths in the U.S., although some hefty smoking bans fly-in-the-face of such views, with the ban on inefficient lighting meeting opposition.
Some feel that having to buy energy efficient, compact fluorescent lighting is an affront to personal freedom, which is why the U.S. House of Representatives is considering overturning a 2007 law setting new energy-efficiency standards for the light bulbs.
Republicans, predictably are pushing to overturn the laws measures requiring efficiency upgrades in the incandescent light bulb, which has changed little since it was invented by Joseph Swan in 1878.
Interestingly the new standards, signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush, but opposers say they are a symbol of an overreaching federal government and the populace should have the right to buy incandescent bulbs.
Those promoting the change, including the Obama administration, highlight that the new bulbs will save consumers billions in energy costs.
Some Republicans claim the new energy efficiency lighting standards are an example of a “big brother” government actions - stopping peoples personal freedom to waste energy and harm the environment.
Michele Bachmann, recently announced Republican presidential contender, responded to Barack Obama's State of the Union address this year, stating that the country had: "bought a bureaucracy that now tells us which light bulbs to buy."
Opponents to the change also make the claim that the bulbs will cost a lot more and are a health hazard, which is why they may need to look to what has happened in Europe, where the bulbs are generally very cheap, despite higher costs initially, and the concerns over safety has been dealt with.
Democrat representative Rush Holt countered the cost argument, saying: "Yes, this costs a few dimes more. But let me tell you, you start saving dimes the moment you screw these into the socket."
While those who support the new standards say the risk from the mercury within the news bulbs is negligible, with new incandescent and LED bulbs contain no mercury.
Yesterday the Obama administration said it opposes the bill to prevent the change to energy efficiency lighting, as it would affect standards driving U.S. innovation, creating new manufacturing jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The White House said the bulbs will save the nation nearly $6 billion in 2015 alone.
The National Resources Defense Council said that, when the law is fully implemented in 2020, energy costs would be reduced by 7 percent and would eliminate the need for 33 large power plants.
Despite all this political conflict, the new rules actually do not ban incandescent bulbs or in fact any specific bulb types, and that suppliers are already offer a choice of energy-saving incandescents, LEDs and CFLs. What will change under the 2007 law is that new bulbs will have to be 25 to 30 percent more energy efficient than traditional bulbs, which convert just 10 percent of the energy they consume to light while giving off the rest as heat.
But from January 1 next year, inefficient 100 watt bulbs will not be available any more. followed by the 75 watt bulbs a year later and 40 and 60 watt bulbs in 2014.
Meanwhile USA Today and Gallup conducted a poll in February discovering that 61 percent of those polled judged the law to be good, with 31 percent bad, and seven in 10 said they have already switched to energy-efficient lighting, with 84 percent satisfied with their new lighting.
For Enigin Distributors in the U.S. it highlights the political nature of the energy efficiency debate in the country, but they discover that as soon as businesses and organisations realise the savings to be made financially from utilising energy efficiency technology from Enigin any opposition disappears, particularly in the face of superb ROI figures.
Picture of LED Lighting by Walmart Store
