How many Japanese legislators does it take to change a light bulb?


Ok, ok, no joke in the title above...

Kyodo reported that Japan will propose putting an end to domestic production and sale of energy-consuming incandescent bulbs to support a shift to energy-saving fluorescent bulbs to cut electricity consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

The government is trying to work out the details, including the designated transition period for a shift from incandescent to fluorescent bulbs, with some proposing the period to be within three years, the sources said.

Thomas Edison's old light bulbs are incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are 70-80% more energy efficient than their old incandescent counterpart and last significantly longer.

The Japan Times: Lights out for incandescent bulbs in energy-saving proposal

This ninja joke is not bad at all:

Q: How many Ninja does it take to ... ah. Seems there is a new bulb in already, and no sign of the old one. Plus, the room was locked and the windows barred. And noone knows who changed it!

Comments

vegetablej said…
I'm a little on the fence about those bulbs. It's nice to know they will last longer and are more efficient, but unless they come in the "warm" variety, I hate the harshness and coldness of the light.

And don't they contain some toxic substance that needs to be disposed of in a special way/at a special site? I somehow can't imagine that that will ever be managed well here. But I hope I'm wrong.

Still, I'm waiting for when they make a solar-rechargeable light with a non-disposable bulb.(Sit it in the light all day, use it at night).
Steveb said…
Fluorescent light seems kinda like GMO incandescent light. Nevertheless, I am sure people were just as unenthusiastic about Edison's original "artificial" light bulbs.

Fluorescent light seems harsher on the eyes, but a frosted glass or plastic covering can diffuse and mix the light to make it more like the light we have become used to.

The law would hardly impact us because my house in Tokyo is already all fluorescent except for my one most personal light on my desk, which is a "Biolight", an incandescent bulb that supposedly has the same spectrum as natural light. It also gets very hot, which is an added bonus in winter.
Martin J Frid said…
Thanks for the insights. Banning the light bulb seems to have more advantages than disadvantages. The concern about mercury in fluorescent lightbulbs means they need to be taken care of properly. Also, it has been pointed out that burning more coal or nuclear fuel to keep the old-style bulbs also leads to a lot of mercury and other dangerous particle emissions into the atmosphere.

Maybe we all need to get to bed a bit earlier instead!
OzBurger said…
It's a good idea for the environment, its a bad idea for teenagers with acne.
Anonymous said…
Aside from the fact that compact fluorescent bulbs are available in a variety of spectrums, including nice warm ones for your (ahem) vanity mirror I guess some people put a priority on their personal comfort over the survival of life on planet earth. Gods forbid I should have to sacrifice how my complexion looks in the mirror, that is simply TOO MUCH to ask! (and it isn't even being asked).

Are humans smarter than yeast? At least yeast leave behind wine when they pollute their environment to the point that it kills them off.
What will humans leave behind?
K and S said…
I was using the Cfl's for awhile then I bought timer for my lamp and needed to go back to the "regular" light bulb.

Popular posts from this blog

Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War

マーティンの鵜の目鷹の目 -世界の消費者運動の旅から

Salvador Dali, Hiroshima and Okinawa