Oh No , Say It Aint So…..

Well, they have finally gone and done it. Collateral damage on the war on energy waste, politicians have changed the future in which we will use our beloved  Easy Bake Ovens… forever.

Introduced in 1963…even before my time, over the years, millions of juvenile, and maybe even  some adult, home chef wanna be's have gotten their fix for baking  with Mattel's culinary creation. This was all made possible by the use of a 100 watt incandescent light bulb. Not for the illumination , but for the heat. Enough heat to bake the cakes and cookies. So...What does all of this mean? How Will this affect lighting in design in general?

 Invented over 100 years ago,  Incandescent light bulbs were Thomas Edison's first invention.  ~ Sadly, in my eyes, the production of  theses bulbs and many others will be outlawed. Phase out of incandescent light bulbs will begin with the 100 watt bulb in 2012, and will end in 2014 with the 40 watt bulb.  All light bulbs must use 25 to 30 percent less energy. By 2020, all bulbs must be 70 percent more efficient.

 While it is a good thing that  CFL light  bulbs( Compact Florescent Lightbulbs) may be somewhat more energy efficient, there are  some things to keep in mind.  Number one, an average watt incandescent ( say 40 watt) light bulb costs about 75 cents. The average swirl CFL bulb has a cost of about 3.00 dollars per bulb. Number two, Incandescent bulbs, if broken are  safe for anyone to clean and pick up. A CFL bulb, on the other hand contains small traces of Mercury. While it is not necessary to put on your HAZMAT suit to clean them up, they must not be touched with bare hands. Pregnant women should also not be exposed to  broken CFL bulbs due to the Mercury. Another thought to remember as well, you cannot just sweep up and throw away in the trash a  CFL broken light bulb. They need to safely be packed up and recylced. Landfills full of broken Mercury laced  CFL light bulbs are not a good idea for protecting our environment. Thus, they must be disposed of properly( of which a means  is still to be determined).

Last, but not least , from a design  perspective, my number one reason for concern using CFL light bulbs has to do with dimmers.  While there are special dimmable CFL light bulbs available, most CFL's cannot be used with a dimmer. Unless the CFL bulb specifically says on the box that it is dimmable, do not use with a dimmer switch. Using a dimmer with a non specified CFL dimmer approved light may reduce the life of the light bulb. The use of dimmers in interior design is widely used for creating soft , warm  lighting ambiance. I personally use dimmers on every light, in every room  of my own home. Using my incandescent lighting on dimmers reduces  glare and adds warm, beautiful soft color. I personally will be purchasing incandescent light bulbs over the next year in order to maintain my decor. You may want to consider doing the same thing if you have specific lighting needs.

While I am all for finding more efficient energy, I do not believe it is the roll of bureaucrats to enforce my choice, as an educated consumer , as to what I may, or may not  purchase for my own lighting  use. This is a choice you will need to make for yourself as well, at some point. Just remember, you will have up until 2012 to make this consideration of stocking up on incandescent lightbulbs….. After that point, lighting as we know it today, will change forever. ~ Nadia