How to get the Incandescent Ban Right

The EU is rapidly approaching the September 1 implementation date for its ban on the incandescent light bulb. Consumers are preparing for the switch, but Germans aren’t taking it lying down, rather they’ve taken to hoarding favorite light bulbs before they are pulled from the shelves forever. Consumer groups are crying socialism, prominent lighting designers are crying fascism, and the lighting manufacturer’s are sitting back taking the extra boost in profits as German citizens fill their basements with their favorite 60 watt light bulbs. What can the US learn as our own phase out of incandescent light by 2014?

Those who criticize the ban point out a few reasonable concerns, if the US is to smooth the transition to more energy effiecient alternatives the industry and government would do well to address these concerns head on. Some examples:

They’re too expensive! A CFL light bulb costs around $5 depending on brand, type etc. An incandescent lamp costs about 70 cents. Consumer advocates cry foul claiming undue hardship on consumers who might not be able to afford higher priced light bulbs.

Solution: Promote long term savings. On balance CFL lamps usually last at least 10 times longer than their incandescent counterparts and use on average 1/6th of the energy. The initial investment in the light bulb will pay for itself in lowered replacement costs and energy savings. If that’s not enough for folks to come around. The other is scale, as CFL becomes the bridge technology to LED here in the states, we’ll see the price per lamp plummet. Remember there was a time in America where an electric light bulb was a luxury item.

It’s not really green! Critics of CFL technology will rightly claim that CFL contains mercury and there are safety concerns associated with them in the home. Moreover, there are larger environmental issues at hand if we introduce all these Mercury laden CFL lamps into the national supply. From disposal solutions to workers in China, CFL cannot be considered a totally “green” solution to lighting.

Solution: Danger of mercury poisoning from a CFL lamp in the home is minor. UL puts it this way, “far more people will be injured falling off ladders changing light bulbs than will ever get hurt by the mercury inside CFL lamps” There are 5 miligrams of mercury in a CFL lamp in that amount unless ingested directly from a broken tube there is little risk. That said CFL lamps should not simply be thrown in the garbage and hauled to a landfill. Broken lamps taken in aggregate sitting in a landfill would lead to mercury seepage potentially threatening water supplies. The government should be heavily promoting national recycling programs they are not as prominent as they should be yet. Major national retailers like Home Depot, Wal-Mart and IKEA have programs in place. For more information, check out this EPA article.

On the Mercury poisoning in China- this is something that must be addressed by light bulb manufacturers, in good faith an highlighted by industry watch dogs. It is unconscionable that these workers should be putting their health under serious risk. Consumer groups and woker advocates must press this issue when they go to purchase their CFL lamps. Look for more coverage here on konstructr to discuss this issue, as it merits it’s own article.

On last point on the green-ness of CFL, even with the problems outlined above it’s important to remember that when Britain adopts it’s ban on incandescent it will save 5m tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. That’s a huge savings from a relatively tiny country. Lighting’s ubiquity puts it in a unique position to have a tremendous positive environmental impact and that should be stressed to the American people.

In the end, change is always difficult. Consumers are going to hem and haw as they are forced to adopt something new. The best thing we can do in the design/build community is promote the highest quality CFL replacement lamps to our clients, readers, etc. For the lighting world, this is the equivalent of everyone being forced to drive a hybrid car. Politically difficult, not a perfect solution and fraught with consumer angst. On balance, it’s also the best thing for the planet.