Incandescent stupidity

In 2012, you will no longer be able to legally buy an Edison-base (A19) 100-W incandescent light bulb in the United States…unless Congress manages to undo the 2007 law. And they have been trying: Congress slipped a provision into the omnibus spending bill for 2012 that prevents the government from spending any money to enforce the light-bulb ban. So while the ban is still in effect, if you do sell the banned bulbs the government can’t come after you for it.

A number of prominent Republican Congressman have spoken out against the light-bulb ban. While on the campaign trail in June, GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said, “Let me tell you, President Bachmann will allow you to buy any light bulb you want in the United States of America.” And one of the major forces behind overturning the ban, Texas Republican Michael Burgess, said consumers should decide whether to use 100-W incandescent bulbs, “not bureaucrats in Washington.”

But why stop at light bulbs? Why shouldn’t I have the right to buy any drugs I want: heroin, crack, etc.? And why can’t I drive on whichever side of the street I want to? And why can’t I yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater just for the heck of it?

The reason I can’t do any of the preceding things is that they are detrimental to the public welfare, and have been made illegal by the government. Today, 100-W incandescent bulbs are also detrimental to public welfare, and better bulbs are readily available.

Incandescent light bulbs are responsible for 20% of the energy consumed by American households, and new lighting technology makes it possible to cut up to 90% of that usage. This would help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, thereby cutting carbon emissions, decreasing imports of foreign oil, and helping preserve the natural environment. Further, it would help foster U.S. industries that provide the electronics used in the new light sources.

Some argue that the cost of the new lighting is too high. But while it’s true that the initial cost may be higher than for incandescent bulbs, it is offset by reductions in energy bills and replacement costs. And not dumping more waste in a landfill also has value.

In the preamble to the Constitution, our Founding Fathers stated that one of the reasons they created it was “to promote the general welfare.” Banning a now-detrimental technology — even one to which some people have become irrationally attached — is exactly what government was constituted to do.