Rep Mike Doyle (D-Pa): Hey, Even Edison Would Have Wanted To Ban His Light Bulbs

by William Teach | July 11, 2011 8:16 am

Except, Doyle argues that they aren’t really “banned”- they’re better

OPINION: BULB Act is dim-witted[1]

Great way to start, Mike: insult people who don’t agree with you.

In 1879, Thomas Edison invented a way to create light by heating up a thin strip of material (called a filament) until it was hot enough to glow. This was the incandescent light bulb.

Since then, Americans and people all over the world have been using these same light bulbs that produce 90% heat and only 10% light. I think Thomas Edison, being a man ahead of his time, would agree this makes little sense today. I believe that one of our premier American innovators would be supportive of American innovation making his revolutionary invention just a bit more efficient.

Hey might have, but, we’ll never know, Mike: he’s dead. But, sure, he probably would support innovation and giving people a choice in purchasing his product.

It took us over a century, but a few years ago Congress realized that a simple efficiency standard could spur innovation to make incandescent light bulbs that create less heat and more light while using less energy. In 2007, members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, on which I serve, passed a bill to set an energy-efficiency standard for incandescent light bulbs. President George W. Bush later signed that bill into law. Neither President Bush nor any other Member of Congress banned the incandescent light bulb. Instead, we passed a law to promote energy efficiency. The incandescent light bulb isn’t banned — it’s just better.

Really? Not banned? Then, I suppose we can purchase 100 watt incandescent bulb in 2012, Mike? No? No one is allowed to sell them? And that same “not a ban” is phased in for lower wattage bulbs over the next few years? So, if they aren’t banned, what are they?

Mike goes on to say that passing this “not a ban” is actually about creating jobs, as CFLs are supposedly being built in several states. Perhaps that are: unfortunately, the majority that are being sold in the US are built, shockingly, in China. And are garbage. And, anyhow, why the hell is it your business to restrict my purchasing power for a product that is neither dangerous nor destructive?

This used to be something we all agreed on. Beginning with President Reagan in 1987, Congress and the White House have enacted federal energy efficiency standards five times — each time with bipartisan support. But now it’s being used to score cheap political points for those on the far right. This week, the House will be voting on the “BULB Act” a bill to repeal the bipartisan energy efficiency standards that have helped create jobs here in America and save energy and money for families. This is as common sense as it gets and it’s hard to believe that we’re fighting over it. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill.

Of course, Mike forgets to mention all the incandescent bulb manufacturing plants that closed in America, thanks to the legislation. And, as China geared up to build CFLs, they built many more coal-fired energy plants, so, any supposed globull warming benefits that come from restricting the sale of certain incandescent bulbs is lost from those plants, and, face it, that’s what the “not a ban” was all about.

But, hey, Mike, if I want to, from your point of view, waste money, that’s my business, and, quite frankly, the last person to be talking about saving money should be a member of the Democrat Party.

Oh, hey, BTW, if anyone is planning on being in Washington, DC, or lives there now, why don’t you take a walk over to Doyle’s office and see what kind of bulbs are used.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[2]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[3].

Endnotes:
  1. OPINION: BULB Act is dim-witted: http://thehill.com/component/content/article/72-opinion/170597-opinion-bulb-act-is-dim-witted
  2. Pirate’s Cove: http://www.thepiratescove.us/
  3. @WilliamTeach: http://twitter.com/WilliamTeach

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