Lights to go out on inefficient bulbs by 2012

CBC News

House Member
Sep 26, 2006
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www.cbc.ca
The federal government will ban the sale of inefficient lightbulbs by 2012 in a move to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn says.

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eh1eh

Blah Blah Blah
Aug 31, 2006
10,750
107
63
Under a Lone Palm
I'm wondering because regular fluorescents don't work well in the cold. I'm not sure that Cuba has too many -25 days.

The compacts work pretty good in the cold, much better than regular tubes. There are dimmable compacts but I've never tried one. I have changed most of my house over to compacts. I do have halogen under cabinet lights and some pot lights as well. I hope the don't pull these too or I'm into some $$$ for fixtures.
 
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temperance

Electoral Member
Sep 27, 2006
622
16
18
Ineffective they weren't ineffective ,the reason is because the Primer Minsters Third cousin once removed , owns the other new bulb company and cousin"Step" said if he ever got to be the big Head cheese he'd let cousin Freedy monopolize the light bulb world


I Heard this through a Friend of a Friends of theirs
 

El Barto

les fesses a l'aire
Feb 11, 2007
5,959
66
48
Quebec
Ineffective they weren't ineffective ,the reason is because the Primer Minsters Third cousin once removed , owns the other new bulb company and cousin"Step" said if he ever got to be the big Head cheese he'd let cousin Freedy monopolize the light bulb world


I Heard this through a Friend of a Friends of theirs
for a light bulb your quite connected.....
 

jjaycee98

Electoral Member
Jan 27, 2006
421
4
18
British Columbia
The compacts work pretty good in the cold, much better than regular tubes. There are dimmable compacts but I've never tried one. I have changed most of my house over to compacts. I do have halogen under cabinet lights and some pot lights as well. I hope the don't pull these too or I'm into some $$$ for fixtures.
One would think that their will be future designs that would fit other types of fixtures. Also when this becomes law and there is more of a market the over-all product should get better. Recently bought some that are far better light that the previous ones so is happening already.
 

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
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They cannot completely ban all incandescents, the technology doesn't exist to replace all types of incadescents with flourescent. Although great advances in LED lights have become more economical lately.
Someone mentioned seizures. People are used to associating flourescent light with a "cool white" color. Flourescent *flicker free* bulbs in a wide variety of colors (temperature) hav been available for years.
If you change 80% of your bulbs into energy saving bulbs, you will be surprised as to how much your electric bill will go down.
Instead of banning incandescents, the government should provide incentives to switchover.
 

s243a

Council Member
Mar 9, 2007
1,352
15
38
Calgary
They cannot completely ban all incandescents, the technology doesn't exist to replace all types of incadescents with flourescent. Although great advances in LED lights have become more economical lately.
Someone mentioned seizures. People are used to associating flourescent light with a "cool white" color. Flourescent *flicker free* bulbs in a wide variety of colors (temperature) hav been available for years.
If you change 80% of your bulbs into energy saving bulbs, you will be surprised as to how much your electric bill will go down.
Instead of banning incandescents, the government should provide incentives to switchover.
Well, I supose they could tax incandescents. It would be better then an outright bann. Why not tax them at 300%?
 

Zzarchov

House Member
Aug 28, 2006
4,600
100
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I'll just bring back these kerosene lamps, I knew this electricity thing was a fad.
 

s243a

Council Member
Mar 9, 2007
1,352
15
38
Calgary
I'll just bring back these kerosene lamps, I knew this electricity thing was a fad.

That seems to be the direction some want to go in. BTW Al Gore is in Calgary. Does anywone know where so I can go protest against him?
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
40,835
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LED light bulbs likened to asbestos: ‘A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY’
'We found that short wavelengths, like deep blues, were having a very negative effect'

Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Published Sep 23, 2026 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 3 minute read
LED light bulbs are offered for sale at a Home Depot store on December 27, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois.
LED light bulbs are offered for sale at a Home Depot store on December 27, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Scott Olson /Getty Images

Researchers in London are shedding light on just how harmful a very common item found in many households and businesses can be.


LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs, grew in popularity in the late 2000s because they use up to 90% less energy, on average, than traditional incandescent light bulbs, and last at least 15 times longer, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Saving money and reducing your carbon footprint sounds like a win-win, right?

Researchers out of University College London, however, are sounding the alarm on LED lighting, which they say could pose a serious and largely overlooked health risk, according to The European.

Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology, acknowledges that LEDs were introduced for good reasons, there’s more than meets the eye to them due to the different light they emit.

“LED lighting is damaging mitochondria and therefore there is no question you’re damaging systemic health,” Jeffrey told the publication. “This is a clear and present public health emergency and we need to take action.”


He even went so far as to call it the “new asbestos,” which can release fibres in the air that may be inhaled and increase the risk of serious illness, such as lung cancer or mesothelioma.

What is mitochondria?
Mitochondria are the energy-producing structures inside human cells often called the “powerhouses of the cell,” according to MitoCanada. When they don’t work properly, the impact can be serious, complex, and life-changing.

Jeffrey’s investigation began in 2010, after colleagues tested on animals and found that red light appeared to improve patterns of recovery after vision damage.

“We found that neuronal damage was considerably slowed by being exposed to red light,” he detailed, adding that “other experiments showed that the process of degeneration was slowed by red light.”

More red light is needed
Jeffrey delved into what the red light was actually doing and linked it to mitochondria.

“We watched the mitochondria directly in the animal model and we found clearly that red light to near infrared light was having a very positive effect,” he explained. “And we found that short wavelengths, like deep blues, were having a very negative effect.”


As for humans, Jeffrey noted that we have more mitochondria in our retina than any other part of your body. After exposing older people to red light, they found “we could improve their vision by using red light at 670nm wavelength for just three minutes. And there was a very significant improvement in colour vision.”



No adverse effects
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks concluded that “there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from LEDs in normal use by the general healthy population.”

They did, however, note that LED lights can cause temporary discomfort and may effect the sleep/wake cycle.

“All light sources affect the circadian rhythms, but more research is needed to ascertain the specific impact of LED lights on the sleep/wake cycle, and also to determine if disturbances to the circadian system lead to adverse health effects,” they said.


How can we better protect ourselves?
Given that LEDs are now so commonly used, Jeffrey suggests that people ensure they receive enough infrared light, and if you can find one, add an incandescent or halogen bulb into an LED-lit room to make sure that fuller-spectrum light is present.

Otherwise, the sun is your friend and Jeffrey urges people to get outside, particularly in the morning and evening while avoiding excessive ultraviolet exposure.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
40,835
4,093
113
LED light bulbs likened to asbestos: ‘A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY’
'We found that short wavelengths, like deep blues, were having a very negative effect'

Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Published Sep 23, 2026 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 3 minute read
LED light bulbs are offered for sale at a Home Depot store on December 27, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois.
LED light bulbs are offered for sale at a Home Depot store on December 27, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Scott Olson /Getty Images

Researchers in London are shedding light on just how harmful a very common item found in many households and businesses can be.


LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs, grew in popularity in the late 2000s because they use up to 90% less energy, on average, than traditional incandescent light bulbs, and last at least 15 times longer, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Saving money and reducing your carbon footprint sounds like a win-win, right?

Researchers out of University College London, however, are sounding the alarm on LED lighting, which they say could pose a serious and largely overlooked health risk, according to The European.

Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology, acknowledges that LEDs were introduced for good reasons, there’s more than meets the eye to them due to the different light they emit.

“LED lighting is damaging mitochondria and therefore there is no question you’re damaging systemic health,” Jeffrey told the publication. “This is a clear and present public health emergency and we need to take action.”


He even went so far as to call it the “new asbestos,” which can release fibres in the air that may be inhaled and increase the risk of serious illness, such as lung cancer or mesothelioma.

What is mitochondria?
Mitochondria are the energy-producing structures inside human cells often called the “powerhouses of the cell,” according to MitoCanada. When they don’t work properly, the impact can be serious, complex, and life-changing.

Jeffrey’s investigation began in 2010, after colleagues tested on animals and found that red light appeared to improve patterns of recovery after vision damage.

“We found that neuronal damage was considerably slowed by being exposed to red light,” he detailed, adding that “other experiments showed that the process of degeneration was slowed by red light.”

More red light is needed
Jeffrey delved into what the red light was actually doing and linked it to mitochondria.

“We watched the mitochondria directly in the animal model and we found clearly that red light to near infrared light was having a very positive effect,” he explained. “And we found that short wavelengths, like deep blues, were having a very negative effect.”


As for humans, Jeffrey noted that we have more mitochondria in our retina than any other part of your body. After exposing older people to red light, they found “we could improve their vision by using red light at 670nm wavelength for just three minutes. And there was a very significant improvement in colour vision.”



No adverse effects
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks concluded that “there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from LEDs in normal use by the general healthy population.”

They did, however, note that LED lights can cause temporary discomfort and may effect the sleep/wake cycle.

“All light sources affect the circadian rhythms, but more research is needed to ascertain the specific impact of LED lights on the sleep/wake cycle, and also to determine if disturbances to the circadian system lead to adverse health effects,” they said.


How can we better protect ourselves?
Given that LEDs are now so commonly used, Jeffrey suggests that people ensure they receive enough infrared light, and if you can find one, add an incandescent or halogen bulb into an LED-lit room to make sure that fuller-spectrum light is present.

Otherwise, the sun is your friend and Jeffrey urges people to get outside, particularly in the morning and evening while avoiding excessive ultraviolet exposure.
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