fishboy1 McCoy

John Polk wrote:
Energy companies could easily get people to conserve with a tiered price structure.

If their kwh rate is 10¢, they should offer a structure such as:

first 300 kw @ 8¢  (this would help poor customers who don't waste)
next 300 kw @ 12¢  (you want to use more, you pay more)
next 300 kw @ 15¢ (so now you are a waster, pay the price)
anything above that @ 50¢  (OK, you've already shown that you don't give a shit)

That's one way.  Of course it puts more $$$$$ in the pockets of those dirty power companies.

OR.....  They could encourage competition and the companies would pull out all the stops to make a better more efficient product.    If your competitors are building a better product and taking away your market share, you better have R&D on double shifts coming up with something even BETTER !

Contrast that with government mandated monopoly profits on crappy CFL light bulbs AND getting hammered by the power company for extra $$$$ for your power usage.   

Seems to me you are PREVENTING innovation to better more energy efficient products and merely lining the pockets of the politically connected.

Here is my .02 about CFL.

I've been a professional photographer since back when we used film !

The light from a CFL sucks.  Sorry greenies but there ya go.

Here is why.

#1. Color temp.  The color of most CFL's is a pukey greenish cast crossing over to cyan.  Its not true daylight or better yet, a warm glow like incandescent.  Our eyes are designed to work better with the warmer colors of light.  Cones vs. Rods. 

#2. Most CFL's put out less light than a "comparable" incandescent.  (going by the marketing on the package)  My eyes can see it even without a light meter or comparing exposures on photographs.

#4 Cycle time.  Fluorescent lights flicker.  Yes, they cycle very fast, but your pupil is trying to react to each cycle of the light causing eye strain and fatigue.  That is why you get a headache in a much shorter period of time when reading by CFL.

#5. Most importantly...... Where does the government get off telling me that I can't use an incandescent light bulb ?    That is a HUGE usurpation of power and trampling of our rights.    Its another example of how our government is legislating monopoly profits to their friends and business partners.  It also stifles competition and innovation.  Why should GE bother to improve their crappy made overseas CFL's ?  They have a government mandated monopoly with little or no competition which guarantees them huge profits for an inferior product.   

IF GE want's to empty my wallet against my wishes, they could at least have the guts to mug me in the parking lot instead of having the government steal for them.