Thumping My Cane Like a Good Curmudgeon Should ...

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will effectively phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2012-2014 in favor of compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs. Other countries around the world have passed similar legislation to ban most incandescents.

Will some energy be saved? Probably. The problem is this benefit will be more than offset by rampant dissatisfaction with lighting. We are not talking about giving up a small luxury for the greater good. We are talking about compromising light. Light is fundamental. And light is obviously for people, not buildings. The primary objective in the design of any space is to make it comfortable and habitable. This is most critical in homes, where this law will impact our lives the most. And yet while energy conservation, a worthy cause, has strong advocacy in public policy, good lighting has very little.

Save the Lightbulb! (WSJ)

As someone whose husband has long been enamored with the concept of fluorescent lighting for saving money and hopeful that the industry's promises of "now we're just like regular lightbulbs" are true ... I can tell ya, it just ain't so. He has finally managed to find a coloring that I can stand but those fluorescent lights just don't give off the good light that a regular light bulb does. Period.

He has tried in vain to find a fluorescent light manufacturer who is brave enough to give a number for their light a la the normal bulbs. No. Hiding behind such euphemisms as "cool white," they refuse to do so. We know this is because such a thing would expose the lie behind which they hide.

I can't even tell you how horrified I was when we stayed in a Holiday Inn Express recently. Normally a reliable favorite in innkeeping, our Holiday Inn room was lit by fluorescent bulbs that gave it a creepy "haunted house" feel. Definitely offputting. I can take the "green friendly" tags in each room asking us to reuse towels which are du rigeur in these "correct" times. Must I travel with my own bulbs now?

(Can you tell I've been rereading The Grand Sophy lately? Nothing like a little Georgette Heyer to raise the spirits with her intelligent, humorous writing, I must say. Even when it's pure drama.)

However to return to the main thread of my conversation. Tom has been keeping an eye on the geek blogs, hopefully scanning for the bold manufacturer who will market LED lights in this country. Even for an unreasonable price, much less a reasonable one, which I feel would happen once the government bears down with its big, light-hating thumb on the helpless citizenry. Alas. No such savior has yet arisen.

At this point, I am seriously considering stockpiling light bulbs.

Here is where it is a problem to read so many old books. I look at how the government was content to govern within their own baliwick and stay out of people's business to a large extent. (Yes, I know many excellent safeguards are instituted by modern government ... blah, blah, blah ... but they have overstepped their bounds when they step upon my light bulbs, sirrah!)

Harumph!