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Hi Rick & All. Dec 17, 2014
I didn't notice that slip but would not have been disturbed by it in =
any case. Newspaper articles are not intended to be the full story in =
technical matters; words get dropped in draft or in editing. It is my =
understanding that they contain mercury vapor, vapor will be distributed =
throughout the volume of the tube, so mercury-vapor filled if you wish.
I was more interested in the background of this scam. From the start =
I concluded that replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs would not =
conserve significant energy under our conditions. And when LED bulbs =
arrived in the market I concluded that the same applied to them. And I =
object in principle because what is so wrong with freedom of choice in =
the marketplace ?=20
Correct me if I am mistaken, but it is my understanding based on the =
conservation of energy that consumed electricity will be converted to =
either light or heat (neglecting the tiny electromagnetic radiation =
which I expect might be generated when a switch contact is made or =
broken and the energy required to heat the filament initially for << one =
second). Except for very brief unusually hot periods in summer when long =
daylight hours decrease the need for light, the radiant heat from =
incandescent bulbs is welcome. Without this radiant heat, other forms of =
heating, requiring perhaps even more energy if they furnished heating =
less efficiently, would be required. Consequently the energy saving, in =
private residences, attributed to efficient light sources is an =
illusion.
With respect to our house built in 1942, and I would expect the same =
would apply to many houses that were not wired with CFL or LED sources =
in mind, selecting either to replace incandescent bulbs would not make =
sense even if they would save energy. When CFL spirals came out I bought =
one, read the cautions that came with it (subtitled subliminally "How to =
burn your house down without even trying"), examined our fixtures and =
concluded that not one fixture in the house was suitable for CFL. So I =
tried it in a table lamp, found it made my eyes ache and did not use it =
until, many years later, I needed a light while working in a dark =
corner. After a few minutes of use it tipped over and shattered in a =
very large number of sharp splinters; bulb working life <25 minutes.
Late last year Efficiency NS featured a promotion for LEDs; free =
bulbs or bulbs at a reduced cost over a period of about two months. So I =
bit and found the free bulbs had been available only for a day or so at =
select locations but reduced prices were still in effect on some types =
at some locations. They were able to recommend the types of LED bulb =
which had a frequency profile similar to incandescent and had a list of =
outlets that sold LED bulbs, and a list of bulb types sold in NS but no =
list of locations that sold any particular kind of bulb and could not =
understand why anyone would want that kind of information.
Recently I bought an LED bulb when a bed lamp gave out and returned =
it without even screwing it into a socket; only the distal end was =
transparent, so it would resemble a searchlight, it was very heavy and =
the strong holder that was recommended for it had no switch. So =
convenient.
LED bulbs make perfect sense outdoors, where any heat generated is =
truly wasted, and in flashlights. And I have three LED flashlights. One =
had a life expectancy of 100,000 hours but the switch stopped working =
after ~5.
From a personal point of view, I am 80 years old, so why is an =
expensive bulb that is reputed to last 30 years such a bargain ? I have =
always been careful to have as small an energy footprint as possible. No =
air conditioning, no dryer, usually walked to work etc. And I have =
records of power, gasoline and oil usage from 1967 onward (used wood as =
the major hear source since 1981; carbon neutral except for cutting and =
hauling). When we had a cottage at Sunken Lake, NS Power changed the =
meter twice in ~30 years because they were sure nobody would use so =
little power.
If government really wanted to conserve energy then they could save =
a great deal with a few strokes of a pen. I use a truck mostly to haul =
my firewood and typically put on about 1,000 km per year. But to renew =
the license costs me as much as it costs someone who drives 100,000 km a =
year.=20
If the license fee were proportional to distance traveled then there =
would be a greater incentive to car-pool when possible and a greater =
incentive to live closer to work or use transit; decreasing not only =
gasoline consumption, but energy associated with motor vehicle repairs =
and energy associated with wear and tear on highways and provision for =
high traffic volumes. Similar considerations apply to insurance. There =
is a slight reduction for vehicles driven less than 10,000 km per year =
but there would be a real incentive to drive less if insurance cost were =
more proportional to distance driven (expected in the first year and in =
the previous year subsequently).=20
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Rick Ballard=20
To: NatureNS=20
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] light
Until I read this article, I was completely unaware that CFL bulbs =
were "Mercury filled". 8^O
On Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 11:24 AM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Dear All,
Comment censored.
=
http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1257496-brighton-light-bulb-switch-=
dim-example-of-%E2%80%98efficiency%E2%80%99
DW, Kentville
--=20
Rick Ballard=20
Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada=20
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4253/8754 - Release Date: =
12/17/14
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<DIV>Hi Rick & All. =
=20
=
=20
Dec 17, 2014</DIV>
<DIV> I didn't notice that slip but would not have =
been=20
disturbed by it in any case. Newspaper articles are not intended to be =
the full=20
story in technical matters; words get dropped in draft or in editing. It =
is my=20
understanding that they contain mercury vapor, vapo