There's a thought
Agreed, calmintentions. It's minor, though maybe not to our individual bills.
It's another thread, but it seems the best way to stop global warming would simply be to all go veggie and stop having livestock. Their farts do emit far more greenhouse gasses than power stations and cars, planes, etc., etc.
"The human race, wiped out by cows' rear emissions" - what an epitaph that would make!
V
V may have stumbled across the real reason for the extinction of the dinosaur! They methaned themselves out of existence.
As usual, the government is targeting the domestic consumer when we all know that most resources are wasted by big business. Just getting all the offices etc to turn off their lights at night would save enormous amounts of power, getting industry to recycle water, restricting the amount of packaging used by manufacturers, improving public transport etc etc. But they continue to tinker with minor details whilst ignoring the major ones that would really make a difference. And, also as usual, they rush into change without thinking it through properly.
We often talk about this, how shops and businesses often seem to have their lights on full power all night. I understand it from a security standpoint but it must waste a massive amount of energy.
If I'm being cynical I tend to think that one of the reasons why governments have taken up the energy efficient lightbulb banner so readily is because it's a quick-fix thing that's easy for people to do. Still if it shaves even 10% off average household energy use switching can't be all bad. My biggest issue with it is that people won't have much choice if they don't like the bulbs or have medical problems that are affected by them. Hopefully they'll use some common sense and won't end up banning fairy lights and things like that!
We are all for saving energy, even if only for selfish reasons of the bill at the end of the day. But the "energy efficient" lightbulb, right now, is being forced upon us. Personally I know that I require blue-light or natural light 100w bulbs that we are all familiar with, so I'll stock up on them long-term. The problem here is "initiatives" - yes, in the usual quotes, as we are all so bored of them - insisting even by law how we live our lives.
At the end of the day, law is necessary. But I have a deep feeling that this is a hasty measure done for political purposes, and of course there is the problem of mercury poisoning.
Whatever the UK does in just the next few years re light-bulbs will have just about zero effect on global warming. The real problems are the increasing industrialisation of India and China. And I don't deny them that right, but this is the real problem.
So why should we go on this huge guilt trip about out light-bulbs, when China is opening up a new nuclear plant every one or two weeks? We can keep out new bulbs and spend longer in democratic (which it has not been so far) debate, and spend longer to get the real facts in. A lot longer as it's a very minor issue - yet it effects our day-to-day living so very much.
V
Hopefully they'll use some common sense and won't end up banning fairy lights and things like that!
In recent years a lot of the fairy lights sold at Christmas are moving towards using LED technology rather than regular bulbs as these are just as bright and have a better lifespan. Don't think there's much to worry about there. 😉
Love and Reiki Hugs
Energy efficient bulbs - problems
Energy efficient flourescent bulb are extremely bad because they cause visual fatigue from the very narrow spectral distribution of the output. This has a knock-on effect regarding increased stress and generation of cortisol. The flicker at 100Hz is also a significant problem that can trigger migrane and epilepsy. When first developed, flourescent bulbs were only meant to be used in emergencies. The government is not concerned with personal health regarding this issue.