FAQ: The End of the Light Bulb as We Know It

[gatorback]

pk:  are you seriously saying an administration's politicized agencies don't skew data, muzzle scientists and generally lie to americans? Now that's funny.  hahah

ps: this applies to both democrats and republicans so I don't want to hear any party bickering.

[second_pancake]

pk:  are you seriously saying an administration's politicized agencies don't skew data, muzzle scientists and generally lie to americans? Now that's funny.  hahah

ps: this applies to both democrats and republicans so I don't want to hear any party bickering.

I was agreeing with you, and I found what you said ironic and humorous is all.  They DO skew data...and so do the representatives of said parties as was demonstrated in this topic post.  Someone can show all day long how 2+2=4, but there will always be someone who comes along to claim otherwise and will come up with a million ways to make it add up to 5.  It doesn't make it real.

[gatorback]

guy walks into a job interview.  the interviewer says "I've read your resume, verified your contacts, pretty impressive, let me ask you this.  What does 2+2=?  The guy said 4 and the interviewer said I'll get in touch with you.

next guy walks in, the interviewer says, "great college, awesome resume, what's 2+2?"  The interviewee said "4".  The interviewer said I'll be getting in touch with you.

the third guy walks in the interviewer said, "never heard of that college, couple of mistakes on your resume, and I've not verified your contacts.  Let me ask you this question, what's 2+2".
The interviewee said, let me think about this....anything you want it to be."  They guy said you got the job!

I love that joke.  Sad  but true.  I know this first hand learning from the best--the Firm.

[RiversideGator]

BTW, here is Steve Forbes' take on the light bulb debacle:

Poisoned Bulbs

The idiocies emanating from congress have made its popularity ratings even worse than those of the current White House occupant. The latest example: Our national legislators are banning traditional incandescent light bulbs, which were invented by Thomas Edison more than 120 years ago. By 2014 these bulbs will be illegal. Instead, we'll be coerced into paying six to eight times the price of incandescents for supposedly more "efficient" compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last longer and consume less electricity. Well, if CFLs are so great, why do we need a law to force us to buy 'em? Why can't politicians set aside their Nanny Bloombergesque dispositions and let the markets work?

But there's a more immediate problem: Each CFL bulb contains about 5 milligrams of mercury, a highly toxic and indestructible substance. It's like bulbs with asbestos. Billions of these bulbs will be everywhere. If one drops and breaks, you've got a problem, especially if you have small kids or pets roaming around.

Here's a harbinger of the crisis to come from an item in Investor's Business Daily: "According to an article in the Apr. 12, 2007 issue of the Ellsworth [Me.] American, [Brandy] Bridges was installing one in her daughter's bedroom when it dropped on the floor and shattered. Luckily, Brandy knew CFLs contained mercury and called the store where she bought hers for advice. She was advised to call the Poison Control hotline, which in turn directed her to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. DEP showed up and found that mercury levels in her daughter's room were six times the state's 'safe' level. The DEP specialist gave her a 'low-ball' estimate of $2,000 to clean up the room."

Think about the challenge of disposing of all this mercury when the bulbs ultimately burn out.

Too bad Edison isn't around to invent a suitable punishment for the dim bulbs who passed this legislation.

http://www.forbes.com/columnists/forbes/2008/0128/017.html

[Lunican]

There was a lot of outrage in this thread over the banning of incandescent bulbs for the sake of the environment so I'd like to let everyone know that Home Depot now sells an LED bulb that looks identical to an incandescent for $9.97.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cree-6-Watt-40W-A19-Warm-White-2700K-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-1-Pack-BA19-04527OMF-12DE26-1U110/203991778#.UgD7sW18wcs

[Dog Walker]

The price of LED bulbs has fallen rapidly and the quality of the light and choices of bulbs has greatly expanded.  We changed to all LED bulbs in our great room and kitchen and with everything turned on (requiring sun glasses!) we are only burning 70 Watts.

[ChriswUfGator]

It's not the quantity of light it's the quality of the light, more specifically I guess the color spectrum, that's the problem. LED and CFL lights have too much harshness and glare for me.

[Lunican]

That bulb I linked to is indistinguishable from an incandescent. Try it if you don't believe me.

[mbwright]

My issue is the quality, and quantity of light produced.   They are too bright to look at, and too dark to read from, more than a foot away.  You can seen this especially with  LED, versus Halogen flashlights.  The LED is bright white light, but won't illuminate more than a few feet.  The Halogen, or other incandescent will throw a beam of light far away.  The color spectrum for CFL's is better, but not great.  The brightness also diminishes rapidly further away from the source.  I think there is still work to improve them, and also elimination of mercury, or other toxic elements.

[Lunican]

^The new LED bulbs are not at all what you describe.

[Lunican]

They also have a new streetlight bulb: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57597262-1/cree-$99-led-streetlight-could-come-to-a-city-near-you/

[JayBird]

My issue is the quality, and quantity of light produced.   They are too bright to look at, and too dark to read from, more than a foot away.  You can seen this especially with  LED, versus Halogen flashlights.  The LED is bright white light, but won't illuminate more than a few feet.  The Halogen, or other incandescent will throw a beam of light far away.  The color spectrum for CFL's is better, but not great.  The brightness also diminishes rapidly further away from the source.  I think there is still work to improve them, and also elimination of mercury, or other toxic elements.

Not sure what sort of LED you are referring to, but you can simply look at the LED headlights and see a world of difference.

[acme54321]

My issue is the quality, and quantity of light produced.   They are too bright to look at, and too dark to read from, more than a foot away.  You can seen this especially with  LED, versus Halogen flashlights.  The LED is bright white light, but won't illuminate more than a few feet.  The Halogen, or other incandescent will throw a beam of light far away.  The color spectrum for CFL's is better, but not great.  The brightness also diminishes rapidly further away from the source.  I think there is still work to improve them, and also elimination of mercury, or other toxic elements.

You've clearly never seen a modern LED from the last year or two.  I have a flashlight the size of a cigar that uses 3W and puts out almost 1000 lumens.  That thing will practically blind you, it lights up my whole street at night.  Even at that level the (single) battery will last for hours.  It cost $17.

[Dog Walker]

My issue is the quality, and quantity of light produced.   They are too bright to look at, and too dark to read from, more than a foot away.  You can seen this especially with  LED, versus Halogen flashlights.  The LED is bright white light, but won't illuminate more than a few feet.  The Halogen, or other incandescent will throw a beam of light far away.  The color spectrum for CFL's is better, but not great.  The brightness also diminishes rapidly further away from the source.  I think there is still work to improve them, and also elimination of mercury, or other toxic elements.

mb, you haven't looked at the LED's in a loooong time, about six months at least.  Stuff has really changed quickly.  You have at least three different color temperatures and MUCH better quality light than CFL's.

Home Depot has a really good selection and all Kelvins of all shapes, sizes and wattages of LED lights.

Like 30% of all men, I am red-green color vision deficient.  Being older my eyes are even less sensitive than they used to be.  I find the bright white, high Kelvin temperature LED's let me see colors and details better than any other lights.  I've gotten to the point that the "warm white" incandescent color temperature is horrible to me.

Try them out, especially in the lamp you use for reading.

[Debbie Thompson]

OK, I'm going to say it.  I changed to mostly CFL's and saved a small but noticeable amount on my electric bill.  I looked at this LED bulb last week, but am choking on paying $10 for a light bulb when a CFL is about $2 or less.  They wattage isn't that much different.  But I do see the point about the mercury.  Looking forward to how quickly LED's come down the way CFL's did a few years ago.