[ale] OT CFL cleanup / LED light bulbs starting to become affordable

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

Theoretically, if we all use cfl's, there would be less mercury emissions going into the environment from power plant emissions even if the bulbs are never recycled.  I don't particularly like them either, though, which is why I like the LED's.  I've read scientific documents that indicate that global warming is probably not caused fundamentally by humans.  So, I'm not worried about CO2.  Not to mention that humans and animals emit CO2 by design, and every green plant on the planet needs CO2 to thrive.  However, power plant emissions also cause CO, SO2, NO2, and other nasty things if I'm remembering correctly.  Excessive energy consumption depletes our supply of coal and natural gas, makes the electric grid less reliable, makes us less energy independent, and tempts us to build more nuclear plants.  On that last topic, even if the plant can be run safely and is protected from natural disasters and terrorists (debatable - 3 mile island, Chernobyl, Japan), the waste is toxic for 100 human generations.  So, I think that's a bad idea.  I think, and have read evidence, that there are alternatives to nuclear remediation, but none have become viable on a large scale.

Thus, I really think conservation is a great idea.  As someone else in the thread said, whether it's a great idea for that to be mandated and for us to be required to spend $ millions collectively to upgrade our equipment, is very controversial.  Can a CFL or LED light bulb save 4X its cost in energy over it's lifetime?  Probably.  Am I currently willing to buy 20 LED bulbs at $ 15 - $ 45 ea to save that energy over the next 1 - 2 decades?  Don't think so.  Not yet, at least.

Sincerely,

Ron



Phil Turmel <philip at turmel.org> wrote:

>On 07/03/2013 12:16 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE) wrote:
>
>> Has anyone else had experience with the new LED bulbs?
>
>I've been trying out a few here and there.  I like the Cree inserts for
>recessed can lights (the low-profile contractor style) that I've found
>at Home Depot.
>
>I've tried a few spotlight/floodlight units with OK results.  Only "OK"
>because I didn't pay enough attention to color temperature and I have
>some mismatches.
>
>I also tried a couple of the units intended to replace conventional 60W
>bulbs--with the plastic diffuser--with poor results.  Fragile, run hot,
>and generated significant RF interference.  Phillips brand, I believe.
>
>BTW, I hate CFLs.  The idea that those mercury-filled monstrosities are
>more environmentally friendly than a tungsten filament is a
>scam--designed to enrich General Electric and friends.  /rant
>
>Phil
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Ron Frazier
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