Jan 07 2009
Now We’re Even Being Told What Lightbulbs To Use!!!
Get this for a news story - people are going out and stockpiling lightbulbs! I wish I was kidding but I’m not. When I saw the headline on a news site I decided I was going to post about it today because it really is ridiculous in itself. However, when I delved a little further into it I decided I would post it for another reason. Unfortunately the ridiulous is becoming a staple of UK society at the moment because the nanny state we live in under New Labour and Gordon Brown. Not only is he ruining us financially but now he is telling us what type of lightbulbs we can and cannot use in our own homes!
Traditional 100W lightbulbs are apparently going to be banned within the next few years because the European Union has decided that we all have to have the energy saving kind in our homes instead! Yes, you read that right. We are going to be restricted as to what lightbulbs we can use in our own homes. The British government is just passing down the ruling from the EU’s initiative to offset carbon emissions and climate change. Although the government can discourage stores from stocking them at the moment, they cannot force them to stop selling them until 2016 so everyone has a while before they disappear for good.
Although energy efficient bulbs use one fifth of the energy that traditional bulbs do, that adds up to just £7 a year saving and removes free choice. We have them in our home but I have to admit that I hate them. I got some free with a couple of offers available on the Internet and have one in my home office. However, I have to switch it on and leave the room for 10 minutes until it warms up and shines brightly because when it is dim it gives me a headache. If I had to pay for them then I would choose to have them because they are not only expensive to buy but make me feel ill.
There are strong objections to the ban of lightbulbs in favour of energy saving light bulbs because they have been proven to make the 1 in 10 people that have migraines suffer them more frequently. It has also been proven that they can make poor eyesight worse, which may be the reason behind my problem with them. I have a rare eye disease that is a result of a genetic blip, meaning there is no cure for it and I have no choice but to deal with it. However, energy efficient lightbulbs do make my eyes worse! Furthermore, they have been proven to cause seizures because of the constant flickering in the bulb. As such, I feel that the EU and Labour alike are passing down poor health to people as well as laws about lightbulbs!
I’m all for saving the environment but I find some of the legislation and rulings on the issue absolutely ridiculous. For example, environmentalists say the positives of this outweigh the negatives but I cannot see it. I would never sacrifice someone’s health for the sake of statistics, which is all the lightbulbs are. How much of a difference will they make if they use little energy and only save homeowners £7 a year? They are dim, migraine and seizure inducing… and the £7 you save on energy bills will be eclipsed by the extra money you have to spend when you buy them because they’re so expensive! Furthermore, they have no right to tell us what we can and cannot do in our own homes. They’re lightbulbs for crying out loud! Ridiculous!!!
I would say that we’ll all be forced to use candles instead soon enough, but then I suppose they “experts” will find that candles give out some sort of gas that’s harmful to the environment when lit as well so bang goes that theory!
You would think that the government and the people that seem to be ruling our lives in the European Union would prefer to focus on bigger issues like the global recession and individual crumbling economies but apparently not!
I read through some of my posts earlier and it really seems like I’m moaning a lot lately. Well, I’m going to continue moaning if these idiots prefer to focus on telling us what to do than helping us to survive the credit crunch. After all is it not against our human rights to dictate our choices in life and what we can do in our own homes? Human rights… now there’s an issue I’ll probably moan about in the coming months as well!
When we can no longer get 100 watt bulbs I am going to have to install more light fixtures on the landing at the top of our stairs. There are no windows and anything less than 100 watts up there is useless. Damn the government and damn the EU.
This shows how little you know. The lights emit light equivalent to 100W by only using 20W so you are not getting any less lighting. The flicker on energy efficient light bulbs is less noticeable because it is a higher frequency (20kHz vs 50Hz), this means the light is beneficial to people prone to photosensitive seizures.
There are people who claim to be allergic to all kinds of EMF etc, but there is no evidence to back it up. Work places have been using florescent (same technology, just less compact) tubes for decades without complaint.
No Rob, I KNOW that my office light takes 10 minutes to get to full brightness. I KNOW that my rare eye disease is worsened by it. I also know you have your own opinion and probably physics to back you up. However, until you have corneas that degenerate and pain to the extent that I do if I am in the room when I switch it on then you are not qualified to comment on evidence. Why do you think I work at home and not in an office building?
Disagreeing with me is one thing… and absolutely fine by the way, but questioning people that have problems with these lights is another. I have personal experience on my side and an ocular genetic blip. That beats your argument hands down.
So I take it you agree with the disappearence of free will as well then? Wonder if he was paid to write that!!!