Why Can’t Americans Decide Which Type Of Light Bulbs They Can Buy?

{Editor’s Note: This is the 7th installment of a series of articles attempting to address the 32 questions posed by Ron Paul in his recent farewell speech given in front of Congress. Check out the previous installment,  Why Do Our Political Leaders Believe It Is Unnecessary To Thoroughly Audit Our Own Gold?}Republicans portray Democrats as a political party that condones the use of government force to influence an individual’s economic choices and therefore their economic liberty.  President Obama, rightfully, has been chastised for the stimulus bills that he supports and the large amount of tax payer dollars that were, and continue to be, sunk into failed companies unable to develop products that are successful in the market.  Distaste for policies such as these were a significant contributor to the formation of the Tea Party movement and continue to reinforce the opinion that President Obama interferes with the free market more so than previous Presidents.It seems that most on the right conveniently forget that President Bush shared Obama’s propensity to utilize the government to manage the market and limit consumer choice.George W. Bush signed the Clean Energy Act of 2007 into law in December 2007.  The law is full of mandates and regulations, which might be surprising to those on the left that claimed the Bush administration operated in a laissez-fair manner.  A President that truly believed in the free market to best address the wants and needs of the public would not have signed a law that raised fuel economy minimums by 10 mpg, increased the amount of ethanol required in gasoline and essentially phases out the incandescent light bulb, among other atrocities.The legislation does not actually spell out a ban on the use or purchase of incandescent bulbs.  Although, the market share of the incandescent bulb is essentially phased out by way of raising the requirements of household light bulbs to achieve 25% greater efficiency.  These regulations cannot be met by an incandescent bulb, thus the market share is virtually handed to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).  The CFL light bulb has not earned their increased share of the market, but instead had it handed to them by the federal government.So why can’t Americans decide which type of light bulbs they can buy?The Federal Government’s push to move away from incandescent light bulbs follows a global trend which has seen many major industrialized countries move to either an outright ban or harsh regulations to discourage use.  Governments around the globe believe that their initiative to move away from incandescent bulbs will save energy and reduce environmental impacts.There are problems associated with the government superseding the market and determining winners and losers with blatant disregard to market reactions.  For better or for worse, there are unintended consequences associated with this decision.  For example, it is quite possible that competition on the open market would have developed a new type of light bulb that supplies lighting similar to an incandescent, but uses less energy.  With the market share basically handed to CFLs, at least until LEDs come down in price, the incentive for lighting companies to innovate has been compromised.Perhaps the biggest concern related to CFL bulbs is the unintended environmental consequences associated with the small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing.  It is alarming that the government would advocate use of potentially environmentally hazardous light bulbs in order to increase energy efficiency.  In fact, it sounds like a claim the government would make in regards to the quest of “big businesses” for profit at any cost.  In order to prove how potentially hazardous a broken CFL bulb can be, we only need to read the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) instructions describing how to cleanup a broken light bulb.

• Have people and pets leave the room.
• Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment. 
• Shut off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one.
• Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb: 
• DO NOT VACUUM.  Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken.  Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.
• Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.  Scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard.  Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.  See the detailed cleanup instructions for more information, and for differences in cleaning up hard surfaces versus carpeting or rugs.
• Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.
• Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of.  Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
• Next, check with your local government about disposal requirements in your area, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. If there is no such requirement in your area, you can dispose of the materials with your household trash.
• If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.

When I’m out and about shopping and come across a warning label on a product that recommends evacuation upon shattering or breaking of the product, I don’t buy the product.  Maybe it is just me, but that rubs me the wrong way.  Do the wise politicians in D.C. really believe that individuals are not going to throw away broken or used CFL light bulbs with their regular trash?  Their expectations of the American populace are much higher than mine.The choice to decide which type of light bulb to use should be that of the individual.  Government intervention in the market causes distortions and hinders market efficiency, which makes it very difficult for the market to supply the products demanded safely and at the appropriate cost.Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!