"Australia pulls plug on light bulbs"

redux

"Australia has announced plans to ban traditional light bulbs in a move Prime Minister John Howard called a practical step toward slowing climate change"

http://www.physorg.com/news91171489.html

US energy policy think-tank the Rocky Mountain Institute estimates that replacing a 75-watt incandescent light bulb with a 20-watt compact fluorescent saves 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) of carbon dioxide over the life of the bulb.

The institute said the average life of a 75-watt incandescent bulb is roughly 750 hours, while the life of an energy-efficient bulb is 10,000 hours.

tirreni

Well thank goodness I don't live in Australia! I have photosensitive epilepsy and the ONLY artificial light I can cope with are traditional light bulbs. Fluorescents flicker and halogens set my epilepsy off too.

I hope the Australian government realise that by 'banning' traditional light bulbs they're automatically making many places - even people's homes - inaccessible to those affected by photosensitivity. Surely that's illegal??

There are many other ways to live a 'greener' lifestyle without resorting to discriminatory practices like this. For example I always recycle, use washing & drying balls, use a reuseable menstrual cup, use environmentally friendly & natural home & beauty products, don't drive etc etc. PLEASE don't let this happen in the UK too....after all why should I be penalised & unable to have a life when I am someone who's trying to do my bit?

louise_1981

light bulbs on the NHS!

cazrobinson

you can always use an incandescent light bulb with a lampshade over the top. surely, if it's covered with a yellow fabric lampshade, the light is warmer and the flicker doesn't affect epilepsy? i think it's a great idea and i can't understand why filiment lightbulbs are still in production.

stat from breakfast bbc news: if everyone in britain changed to incadescent light bulbs then it would be the equivilent of 3/4 of cars being taken off the road!!

the only thing i have against these new bulbs is that they can't be recycled (except from at Ikea stores - me thinks?) easily, whereas the old bulbs are just glass and metal.

caz

5limJim

cazrobinson wrote:

you can always use an incandescent light bulb with a lampshade over the top. surely, if it's covered with a yellow fabric lampshade, the light is warmer and the flicker doesn't affect epilepsy? i think it's a great idea and i can't understand why filiment lightbulbs are still in production.

stat from breakfast bbc news: if everyone in britain changed to incadescent light bulbs then it would be the equivilent of 3/4 of cars being taken off the road!!

the only thing i have against these new bulbs is that they can't be recycled (except from at Ikea stores - me thinks?) easily, whereas the old bulbs are just glass and metal.

caz

i think based on the hours you can get out of one of these then the trips to the recycle point at IKEA (for the moment) will far outweigh the ease of just being able to bin an old bulb, personally i cant see the problem in simply replacing the sale of normal light bulbs with purely energy efficient lightbulbs.. if there are health implications then fair enough, but thats something that needs further investigation

gromituk

tirreni wrote:

Well thank goodness I don't live in Australia! I have photosensitive epilepsy and the ONLY artificial light I can cope with are traditional light bulbs. Fluorescents flicker and halogens set my epilepsy off too.

What - even high frequency fluorescents such as those used commercially?

I imagine that the computer you are using to post from has a CRT or LCD. CRTs flicker at the scan rate you set them; LCDs are backlit by fluorescent tubes, driven at a high frequency.

Look at the second letter onwards here.

Cardew

gromituk wrote:

What - even high frequency fluorescents such as those used commercially?

I imagine that the computer you are using to post from has a CRT or LCD. CRTs flicker at the scan rate you set them; LCDs are backlit by fluorescent tubes, driven at a high frequency.

Look at the second letter onwards here.

Totally agree!

Virtually all photosensitive epilepsy is at frequencies way below that from mains electricity(AC)bulbs.

If someone does suffer from 50hz flicker, then they will not watch TV, operate a PC or venture outside their home.