Democrats and light bulbs: a cautionary tale

Compact fluorescent bulbs like this one will soon replace traditional bulbs, which were banned by Congress.

or You light up my life… but not with an incandescent bulb!

How many Democrats does it take to screw a light bulb company? Answer: 272, including 44 in the Senate and 228 in the House of Representatives. They were joined by 36 House and 19 Senate Republicans.

In December 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which, among other things, banned most incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012. The act also contained a renewable fuel standard (RFS) which mandated increased ethanol production and led to food shortages in 2008, as well as several other mandates.

A prime motivation behind the light bulb ban was fears of global warming. The law passed prior to the East Anglia climate email controversy in 2009, in which pilfered emails purported to show that climate scientists collaborated to cover up inconsistent climate data and stifle dissent, so global warming skeptics were relatively powerless. It was also passed prior to the economic crash of 2008, when it seemed that the economy would remain strong regardless of government meddling.

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