Okay, I know this is not a political soundboard and more than that I know your philosophies are not really predisposed to agree with me. But I can't stop myself because this is making me angry.
Light bulbs are being outlawed.
Not all of them. Just incandescent ones. The ones that have been working since Edison invented them. Why? Because they are not "environmentally friendly". Or at least not as much as the halogen ones. Which by the way are twice as expensive and have mercury in them. Wait a minute, mercury? Oh yeah, that's totes good for the environment when they break or are thrown away.
This is not to say I am against halogen lights (except maybe for the mercury thing, but whatever). If people want to make them and buy them, more power to you. *Freedom rings* But forcing me to buy them? Isn't that extreme? And fairly unconstitutional? Incandescent light bulbs aren't hazardous or dangerous or really much worse than halogen ones. (They might be better. They have a better, softer glow anyway.) So why are they becoming illegal?
Really, why? Why are my freedoms being eliminated? It's my own damn business what light bulb I want to use in my house. If you want to have halogen, then fine. But why do you have to limit what I want to do? If they were really that much better for the environment, if they were really that much better than incandescent, then why wouldn't people just buy those instead? Why does it have to be made into law? Free market forces, if it were a superior product, would render the incandescent obsolete anyway. Companies would stop producing that product if it were no longer profitable.
Right?
Well, as my Dad said, oh no! All innovations had to be forced into acceptance by law. That's what they had to do to get people to buy cars. They made horse and buggies illegal. And then everyone had to buy a car. It was the same for the original light bulb. They made candles illegal, so people would buy light bulbs. And look how well those worked out!
QUA? How did you find that out?
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know they outlawed Edisons (my new word for old school lightbulbs). Also, I don't think they ever outlawed horses and buggies, need to double check that.
Also, I cannot use halogen bulbs, because the light they emit give me a headache after awhile. Yes, they are 'better' for the environment, but my Edisons are bulbous and pear shaped, unlike twisty turny halogens, which are easier to break, trust me I know. I think halogens are slowly becoming more accepted by people, so they should not be forced. Maybe for certain businesses that emit a lot of electricity maybe, but we must slowly become accustomed to them.
Most importantly, without candles how do we make sweaty, awesome sex scenes? Edisons aren't romantic enough.
I confess, horses and candles were not outlawed. But it makes a point- if it's good enough, innovation doesn't need legal prompting.
ReplyDeleteFunny side note though- my mom is stocking up on Edisons. The phase out of the lightbulb begins in 2012.
ReplyDeleteI can understand outlawing an old, outdated, environmentally unfriendly product when there is a far more superior one out there. Or maybe if you're doing it for government building projects or something, but this doesn't seem to make sense.
ReplyDeleteEspecially because the halogan light bulbs are so much more expensive than the other ones. Like a few dollars more, right?
I'm with Cylon (I wish I was in more circumstances where I could say that) hologans are becoming more accepted by people anyway. This seems excessive.
Innovation doesn't need legal prompting, I like that.
I should let this die, but I found some more opinions on this matter. If you wanted a link to more news-y outlets:
ReplyDeletehttp://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_LIGHT_BULBS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-07-12-03-28-58
http://gizmodo.com/5820322/is-obsolete-tech-an-inalienable-right
I don't care what some people think, this is reducing freedom. And no matter what they say it will 'save', people choose with their purchases. And since we are apparently not making the right choice, legislators are stepping in to do it for us.
I know it's a light bulb. I know it shouldn't be that big a deal (until I break one and I get mercury poisoning and then have to buy a more expensive one). But I don't like where this is going. That the government can make arbitrary 'environmental' decisions.
It just has me wondering, what will they take away next?