compact fluorescent bulbs news stories on Newser

Incandescent Light Bulbs Get Reprieve—for Now

Mark Russell — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:54:07 CST

Among the things saved in yesterday's $1 trillion spending bill , you can include the humble incandescent light bulb, reports ABC News . A 2007 energy bill requiring more efficient standards would have effectively phased out the bulbs as of Jan. 1, forcing people to switch to energy-saving fluorescent bulbs ( much...

'Green' Bulbs Release Toxins, Carginogens

Evann Gastaldo — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 06:51:37 CDT

Paging Stephen Colbert : There's apparently a new reason to be wary of energy-saving lightbulbs. In a new report, scientists in Germany warn that compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) emit carcinogenic chemicals and toxins—including phenol, naphthalene, and styrene—when turned on, resulting in what one scientists describes as "electrical smog." Because...

How Big Government Actually Helps Innovation

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:50:20 CST

Last week, Michele Bachmann introduced a bill to repeal the energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs, because, as she said, the “government has no business telling an individual what kind of lightbulb to buy.” She’s not the only conservative politician who’s upset (see here and here ). All the complainers are...

Dems Forcing 'Girly' Lightbulbs on Us: Colbert

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:14:26 CST

Thanks to the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, incandescent lightbulbs will be "effectively banned" by the Democrats come 2012, complained Stephen Colbert last night —and he is not happy about their replacements, the girly-looking compact fluorescent lights that some conservatives have described as looking like pigtails or curlicues. “Pigtail...

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Die Faster Than Thought

Nick McMaster — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:00:05 CST

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are promoted as revolutionary power-saving devices—able to produce more light with less juice and last for nearly 10 years. But a review of conservation measures undertaken by California—a state that adopted CFLs more enthusiastically than any other—shows the bulbs to be a little...

Our Innovative Green Lightbulbs Are Made in China

Kevin Spak — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:38:00 CDT

The Obama administration often argues that promoting green technologies will create new American jobs, but tell that to the 200 guys still working at GE’s last major incandescent light bulb factory in Virginia. The factory is closing this month, thanks to a 2007 law essentially outlawing the old-fashioned bulbs. The...

Race for Better Light Bulb Heats Up

Kevin Spak — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:08:38 CDT

Dutch electronics giant Philips has created an LED light bulb that, if it lives up to its billing, could claim the US government’s coveted “L Prize.” More important, the new bulb could inherit the 60-watt bulb’s throne. The Energy Department is offering $10 million—and a pile of juicy government...

Euro Bulb Ban Begins, But Many Take Dim View of CFLs

Will McCahill — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:40:00 CDT

Though proponents plug the financial savings and good climate karma of compact fluorescent light bulbs, not everyone thinks the European ban on most incandescent bulbs that kicks in tomorrow is such a bright idea, the New York Times reports. Consumers across the continent are hoarding old-school bulbs, worried over the...

Maine Law Targets CFL Mercury

Rob Quinn — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:09:10 CDT

Maine has become the first state in the nation to tackle the problem of mercury in low-energy light bulbs, the Boston Globe reports. A new state law requires manufacturers to reduce the amount of the toxic metal in the bulbs and pay for the cost of safe recycling, a measure...