Further Reading on Light-bulb Reprieve

National Review has an editorial on the subject.

Breaking News: Light Bulbs Ambiguously Not Banned Yet

This just in:  In a spending-bill deal finally worked out last night between congressional Republicans and Democrats, the light-bulb ban will still not be repealed (yet), but the government will be prohibited from using any money to enforce it.  See news story from Bloomberg (longer), Newsmax, or the Chicago Tribune (shorter).  

Supply and Demand

Glenn Beck this morning: “All I want for Christmas: Edison’s light bulb.”

It’s true, it will be illegal to sell 100-watt incandescent bulbs in the United States starting in 2012—i.e., two weeks from now.  You will be able to get them only at great expense, if at all.  (Hoard them while you can, if you like.)

I suppose the coming blackout is fitting accompaniment to the coming of the new dark ages.

Lights Out

Did you know that Congress has already banned incandescent light bulbs in the future?  Neither do most Americans.  The law was passed in 2007; the phase-out begins with the 100-watt bulb in 2012.  (You can also read more about it at a Web site created for the movement to repeal the ban.)

Practically speaking, like most overweening big-government schemes, this will have unintended consequences.  In this case, we already know what some of them will be: 

1 — Scientists find that the main alternative, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), should be used sparingly and not left on for very long, because they are poisonous and may give you cancer: