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Campaign Archive: (Feb 05 to present)
Campaign Goals: 1. Create a deadline for action Ban the sale of incandescents by specific dates Ban 60W + 100W incandescents first (bayonet + screw) Ban other incandescent designs later 2. Remove the price advantage of incandescents Increase the cost of incandescent light bulbs Reduce the sales tax (VAT) on CFLs from 17.5% to 5% 3. Help the poor Help the poor to replace their incandescents Help the poor to save money on their energy bills 4. Encourage responsible recycling Encourage the responsible recycling of CFLs Encourage fair + adequate funding for recycling Encourage discussions amongst recycling stakeholders 5. Encourage + strengthen supporting legislation Include light bulbs in the EU's Eco Directive Explain the pros + cons of the EU's RoHS Directive 6. Propose appriopriate exemptions Make the case for appropriate medical and specialist exemptions 7. Encourage continued innovation Propose that technology neutral "watts per lumen" criteria should be included in ban legislation Propose "watts per lumen per m2" as further criteria Highlight promising technologies as they emerge 8. Encourage energy efficiency and conservation Explain the benefits of greater energy efficiency Explain the benefits of turning things off Accelerate the uptake of available technologies 9. Use LEDs to set energy performance standards LEDs offer a 90% energy saving CFLs offer a 65-80% energy saving High efficiency incandescents offer a 25% saving Incandescents offer 0% energy saving Banning incandescent light bulbs would... Save 2 to 5 Million tonnes of CO2 per year in the UK Save 23 to 53 Million tonnes of CO2 per year in the EU Global Energy Use: Thanks to...OilPrice.com Links: BBC "Green Room" 3 Feb 06 Light bulbs: Not such a bright idea Comments BBC "Green Room" 21 April 06 Shedding light on call to ban bulb Comments BBC "Green Room" 20 Oct 06 Where have all the leaders gone? Comments BBC article 29 Jun 06 Lighting the key to energy saving IEA : Lights Labour Lost report BBC article 2 Nov 06 Bulbs must be efficient by 2009 BBC "Green Room" 19 Jan 07 The need for ambition + imagination Stern Review: Summary Guardian article 1 Feb 07 Should I replace incandescents now? Worldwatch: Effects of WEEE Directive BBC article 31 Jan 07 Plan to ban light bulbs... in California Nine MSN article 20 Feb 07 Plan to ban light bulbs... in Australia BBC article 20 Feb 07 Australia pulls plug on old bulbs Courier Mail article 21 Feb 07 See the light Turnbull EurActiv article 21 Feb 07 How many EU members does it take to change a light bulb? Guardian article 22 Feb 07 Should we ban these bulbs? Scotsman article 24 Feb 07 How many light bulbs does it take to change the world? Daily Mail article 10 Mar 07 EU switches off our old light bulbs BBC "Green Room" 16 July 07 Sex sells, but at what cost? The Guardian article 27 Sept 07 UK to phase out 150W, 100W + 60W bulbs The Guardian article 27 Sept 07 Ban The Bulb? International Light Bulb Campaigns 18 Seconds (US) Greenpeace India : BTB petition (India) www.banthebulb.co.uk (UK: unaffiliated) Campaigns One Watt Initiative (IEA) One Billion Bulbs (US) Big Green Switch (UK) Eco Portal Eco Earth Info (US) References Homestayfinder: How CFLs work MPs' Letters: EU light bulb rules Wikipedia: Ozone Depletion EU: Kyoto Protocol Lighting Industry Federation >LIF: Lamp Guide 2001 pdf UK Climate Change Programme >UK CCP: Review pdf UK Market Transformation Programme ECCP Report 2001 pdf European Lamp Companies Federation DTI: WEEE Directive Energy Saving Trust GE: Soft White Dimmable CFLs Cubans + Jamaicans hand out free CFLs ELCFED FAQs Lighting Advice Energy Saving Trust Lighting Bulb ratings Lighting choices Low energy fittings Save Your 20% Customer Utility Services Light bulb suppliers lightbulbs.co.uk Just LED Direct Trade Supplies Light Rabbit Light Rabbit : Commercial AVR LED Track Lighting Bulb Buddy Energy Bulb Synergy Lighting USA (USA) Express Light Bulbs LED Light Bulbs LED Lighting Supplier eco LED Light E-Leds EcoPal (Ireland) LED Lights LED Tape Eco St LED Eco Lights Light Bulb Planet Green Led LineLite First Light Direct Lamps On Line UltraLEDS (UK) LiteBulbs Bright Green Technology (signs) Eco Friendly Light Bulbs Go Green Lights (UK) Energy Saving World (UK) Light Bulbs Direct (UK) Better Generation (UK) Efficient Light (UK) Ultima (UK) Megaman (UK) Amazon.Com (US) The Bulbman (US) LED Online [LEDs] (UK) OptoSource [LEDs] (UK) CyberLux [LEDs] (US) Androv Medical (UK) BestBulb (UK) The Light Bulb (UK) Solar Solar Power Centre (UK) Intelligent Energy Solutions (UK) Solar Insiders (UK) Solar Gadget Store (UK) Select Solar Panels (UK) Energy Saving Advice Conserve Energy (UK) Intelligent Energy Solutions (UK) Solar Security Solar Security Solutions (UK) Energy Company Advice Good Energy Shop (UK) Home Energy Generation / Storage Cyber Energy (UK) Low carbon technology sites The Solar Centre (UK) Price comparison sites Business Electricity Prices (UK) Business Gas Prices (UK) USwitch: Business Energy (UK) Home Advisory Service (UK) UK Power (UK) Business Gas (UK) Business Electricity (UK) Solar Price Comparison Services Talk Solar Panels (UK) Talk Solar Boilers (UK) Solar Quote Provider (UK) Solar Lighting Lux Outdoor Ligting (UK) The Eco Experts (UK) http://www.theecoexperts.co.uk Light bulb history An overview 1809 Humphrey Davy (Arc lamp) 1820 Warren De la Rue (vacuum + wire) 1879 Edison and Swan (carbon + cotton) 1880 Edison (carbon + bamboo) 1898 Karl Auer (osmium) 1903 Siemens/Halske (tantalum) 1906 to 10 GEC/William Coolidge (tungsten) Fluorescent light and lamp history 1857 Becquerel (fluorescence) 1901 Cooper Hewitt (mercury vapour lamp) 1934 Germer (high pressure lamp) 1970s Anderson + Hollister (electrodeless) 1976 Edward Hammer (spiral lamp) Mercury + Fluorescent Lights Efficiency Vermont Michigan Dept. of Env. Quality Energy Efficiency Advice EU Energy Label Refrigeration Laundry Dishwashers Boilers Insulation + Windows Find recommended products (UK) Generate your own energy General advice Solar Photovoltaics Solar water heating Heat pumps Small scale wind Small scale hydro Biomass Press coverage The Guardian 7 Dec 05 BBC News Online 'Green Room' 3 Feb 06 BBC Radio 4 'Broadcasting House' 5 Feb 06 Austrian Broadcasting Corp. 7 Feb 06 BBC Radio Wales 8 Feb 06 BBC News Online 8 Feb 06 The Hindustan Times editorial The Guardian "Campaign O.T.W. " 21 Feb 06 BBC Radio Essex 22 Feb 06 Interesting energy ideas... Option 10 (UK) Light Up The World (Can) TVEC.org (UK) Downshifting Path (UK) Cent. for Alt. Tech. (Wales) Patio Heaters Are Evil (UK) NGOs Friends of the Earth Greenpeace International Natural Resources Defense Council New Economics Foundation WWF Renewable Energy Businesses Select Solar Solar Century Climate Change Carbon Trust Climate Stability 2005 DEFRA Hadley Centre IPCC Met Office Pew Centre Tyndall Centre UK Energy Research Centre UNFCCC Reports National Audit Office > report Environmental Blogs Alternative Energy Blog Dangerousmeta! Earth Blog Earth Info Energy: Action Envirotech George Monbiot Greenpeace Weblog Gristmill Mark Lynas Meta Efficient One Change Real Climate Rebecca Blood Sierra Club Scoop World Changing Ethical Expert © matt prescott
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Friday, October 24, 2014Guest Blog : LED Lights: A Beaming Art FormBy Tom Bray : Direct Trade Supplies
LED lights are not only embraced by the eco conscious or
cost savvy. Creative eyes also turn to this versatile, flexible and colourful
lighting, stretching its usability to a whole new level.
Street artists often dubbed as ‘guerrilla artists’ have been
known to apply LEDs to temporary creations in public places. The boom of ‘LEDThrowies’ in 2006 is a great example of this, substituting spray cans with LED
lights attached to batteries and magnets. Unlike graffiti, LED Throwies remain
visible against the night sky; lighting up political, social and thought
provoking messages for all to ponder.
Artists also use LEDs to enhance their very own pieces of art.
Whether it is sculptures, abstract creations or constructions based on a
particular theme or idea, LED lights can highlight and intensify these pieces.
Some artists go one step further and completely embed themselves in LEDs.
Finnish artist Janne Parviainen wrapped himself head to toe with a tube of LED
lights, then using long exposure camera techniques he portrayed a truly
galactic vision, summing futuristic vibes straight from another universe.
Parviainen says. "In my pictures you see a parallel universe which only the
camera can capture".
LED lights coupled with camera trickery is a developing art
form. In comparison to work by Parviainen, others artists leave LED lights to
dance and tease across the night sky. This form of light art produces a vivid
psychedelic scene, shooting light beams up to the sky to construct utterly
awe-inspiring structures; glowing beehive cylinders, sci-fi strands, cosmetic
cannons, extraordinary orbs and mind bending wires, all terms that can describe
these eye catching inventions.
British freelance photographer Martin Kimbell is a grand
example of how you can incorporate LED lights and long exposure camera tricks
to produce something quite special. His photography displays ghostly glowing
tornados and hula hooping wiry wreaths spiralling into the night sky. Practicing
with LEDs since he was 16, Kimbell is now a dab hand at creating these stunning
images. Modestly mastering a digital camera to test composition and lighting
but nothing more elaborate, “I can leave the shutter open for as long as I want
without worrying about the quality degrading or my battery running out.”
Artists are well renowned for turning something run of the
mill, mundane and unassuming into something with an edge, a spectacle and a
subject to puzzle over. The world of LED artwork is one of them, with artists’
using the night sky, buildings and even themselves to sorcer up an ecstatic
enchantment of light architecture and design.
What’s more, these artists are using equipment which is
kinder to the environment, so in some ways they are giving two things back to
the world; art and planet conservation. LEDs have the scope to be compulsory,
not just seen as an alternative to halogens and fluorescents but a must for all
establishments.
In a time where modern technology is so advanced, surely
there is no need to keep producing lamps which are so harmful to the
environment? Yet unfortunately this kind of logic can be applied to most
things, stop producing weapons and people won’t be killed or seeing as 92% of
money is not in physical form, print more money and distribute it to the poor.
Until these proposed ideas are taken seriously and god forbid actually actioned
it is up to us to keep the fire burning and the light firmly lit, but remember,
the lights need to be LED.
Posted 5:28 AM by Matt Prescott 
Friday, August 29, 2014Guest Blog by Hazel Deller : Intelligent Lighting – How Will It Benefit You?
Intelligent Lighting – How Will It Benefit You?
The next big trend in light looks like it’s
going to be intelligent lighting, but how could it benefit you?
The term intelligent lighting refers to
automated Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting systems that turn on and off or
dim when you leave the room, or are controlled via a smart phone app. These
nifty little LEDs could spark a revolution in conventional lighting, as they
boast excellent energy saving potential.
One big advantage of intelligent lighting
is that LEDS can be dimmed in a way that ensures you’re actually using less
energy, unlike traditional dimmer switches, which simply convert light into
extra heat when they force incandescent light bulbs to dim. Although more
expensive to buy, due to their added technological sophistication, LED bulbs
are already extremely cheap to run. LEDs require 9 times less electricity to
produce the same amount of light as their incandescent light bulb equivalents
and last 10 – 20 times longer and so over their lifetime have the potential to
generate considerable cost savings.
Aside from the obvious energy and money
saving benefits, there are other important features to these smart little LEDs.
·
A safer house
By allowing you
to turn lights on and off remotely intelligent lighting lets you control your lights when you are on holiday and create the
impression with potential burglars that you are at home. They can also turn on
lights that make it easier to see your keys and illuminate dark corners
near your entrances.
·
An inviting atmosphere for guests
Set the mood when you next hold a
gathering. Not only does intelligent lighting provide a good party trick, it
also means you can make subtle changes to the atmosphere and create a warmer
ambiance.
·
A helping hand with the little ones
Sending children to bed can often feel like
you’re fighting a losing battle. Just when you think they’ve nodded off they
decide they need a drink, or the toilet, or a story, or they need you to check
under the bed… the list is truly endless.
By using your app you can send them to bed
with their light on, slowly dimming, letting them gently drift off to bed
naturally. Instead of leaving their night light on and wasting electricity all
night (or worse sneaking in to switch it off and waking them up), you now have
the ability to work some lighting magic and cut down the hassle of bed time.
This revolutionary technology has both its
practical uses and interior design capabilities. We’re constantly being
reminded how important it is to save energy, yet many of us struggle to see a
positive impact overall on our lives. New intelligent lighting gives us the
power to save, but also offers us practical uses beyond that. Not only is this
a great step for interior design projects, it’s a giant leap for reducing
energy usage.
Hazel Deller writes
for Love Energy Savings. A business that help owners to improve their profits by reducing their
day to day outgoings, saving them valuable time in the process of comparing and
switching suppliers.
Posted 8:31 AM by Matt Prescott
Tuesday, July 08, 2014Hackers crack Smart LED light bulbs
The BBC are reporting that the security of net-enabled LED light bulbs made by LIFX has been cracked by hackers posing as new light bulbs joining the network. Similar security issues could affect many other household items associated with the booming "internet of things".
Context Security released details about how it was able to
hack into the wi-fi network of one brand of network-enabled bulb, and
control the lights remotely............................................................................................................................................................ Security experts have demonstrated how easy it is to hack network-enabled LED light bulbs. The LIFX light bulb, which is available to buy in the UK, has network connectivity to let people turn it on and off with their smartphones. Michael Jordon, research director at Context, explained how he was able to obtain the wi-fi username and password of the household the lights were connected to. "We bought some light bulbs and examined how they talked to each other and saw that one of the messages was about the username and password," he told the BBC. "By posing as a new bulb joining the network we were able to get that information," he added. "We were able to steal credentials for the wireless network, which in turn meant we could control the lights." The LIFX project started off on crowd-funding website Kickstarter. Billing itself as the "light bulb reinvented", it brought in over 13 times its original funding target. The master bulb receives commands from the smartphone applications and broadcasts them to all the other bulbs over a wireless mesh network. While it had taken two experts two weeks to crack the system, the equipment they had used was cheap and readily available, said Mr Jordon. LIFX said that it had updated its software since being notified of the vulnerability. In a blog post, the firm said: "There was a potential security issue regarding the distribution of network configuration details on the mesh radio but no LIFX users have been affected that were are aware of. "As always we recommend that all users stay up-to-date with the latest firmware and app updates." Smart cities Increasingly everyday objects are being connected to the network, a phenomenon known as the internet of things. The number of objects that can potentially be hacked is set to rise exponentially, according to research firm Gartner. It estimates that there will be 26.5 billion physical objects embedded with technology by 2020. It believes the industry will be worth $1.9tn (£1.1tn) by that time. "Whereas phones and laptops have had a longer time to sort out security issues, these newer devices haven't learnt and are therefore easy gateways into hacking," said Mr Jordon. "Security costs time and money and some manufacturers are not putting in the right level of security." Brian McGuigan, commercial director at Silver Spring Networks, a firm providing networks for smart cities and smart lighting, said the issue of security was not limited to devices for the home as more and more of the furniture in cities was also connected to the network. "The buyers in cities have a low understanding of security, and they need to be encouraged to leverage the security standards that have been widely used in other industries." "The internet of things is a building block for cities but a lot of companies offering products are start-ups and under pressure to get to market quickly." source : BBC News : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28208905 Posted 3:57 PM by Matt Prescott
Phoebus (Lighting Industry) Cartel : 1924 - 1939During a recent BBC documentary "The Man Who Made Us Spend" which was about the tactics used by companies to help drive modern-day consumerism, Ban The Bulb was surprised to learn of the Phoebus Cartel which was founded by Osram, Philips and General Electric, amongst others, as a way reducing the useful life expectancy of their light bulbs from 2500 hours to 1000 hours and boosting sales. This type of in-built obsolescence can still be found in many other consumer products ranging from cars, mobile phones and silicon chips, so the actions of this cartel should still act as a cautionary tale for regulators established to protect consumers or the environment. Below is the entry from Wikipedia which explains how this cartel succeeded in shortening the lifespan of their products as a way of making them obsolete more quickly and profitably. ............................................................................................................................................................. The Phoebus Cartel The Phoebus cartel was a cartel of, among others, Osram, Philips and General Electric[1] from December 23, 1924, until 1939 that existed to control the manufacture and sale of light bulbs.
The cartel is an important step in the history of the global economy because it engaged in large-scale planned obsolescence. It reduced competition in the light bulb industry for almost twenty years, and has been accused of preventing technological advances that would have produced longer-lasting light bulbs. Phoebus was a Swiss corporation named "Phoebus S.A. Compagnie Industrielle pour le Développement de l'Éclairage".The Phoebus cartel was a cartel of, among others, Osram, Philips and General Electric[1] from December 23, 1924, until 1939 that existed to control the manufacture and sale of light bulbs.
The cartel is an important step in the history of the global economy because it engaged in large-scale planned obsolescence. It reduced competition in the light bulb industry for almost twenty years, and has been accused of preventing technological advances that would have produced longer-lasting light bulbs. Phoebus was a Swiss corporation named "Phoebus S.A. Compagnie Industrielle pour le Développement de l'Éclairage".
Members
Osram, Philips, Tungsram, Associated Electrical Industries, ELIN, Compagnie des Lampes, International General Electric, and the GE Overseas Group were members of the Phoebus cartel,[2] holding shares in the Swiss corporation proportional to their lamp sales.
In 1921 a precursor organisation was founded by Osram, the "Internationale Glühlampen Preisvereinigung". When Philips and other manufacturers were entering the American market, General Electric reacted by setting up the "International General Electric Company" in Paris. Both organisations co-ordinated the trading of patents and market penetration. Increasing international competition led to negotiations between all the major companies to control and restrict their respective activities in order not to interfere in each other's spheres.
Purpose
The cartel was a convenient way to lower costs and worked to standardise the life expectancy of light bulbs at 1000 hours,[citation needed]while at the same time raising prices without fear of competition. Members' bulbs were regularly tested and fines were levied for bulbs that lasted more than 1000 hours[citation needed]. A 1929 table lists exactly how many Swiss francs had to be paid, depending on the exceeding hours of lifetime[citation needed]. This was not public knowledge at the time, and the cartel could point to standardization of light bulbs as an alternative rationale for the organization.
The cartel claimed that 1000 hours was a reasonable optimum life expectancy for most bulbs, and that a longer lifetime could be obtained only at the expense of efficiency, since progressively more heat and less light is obtained, resulting in wasted electricity.[3]
The Phoebus Cartel divided the world’s lamp markets into three categories:
Demise
In the late 1920s a Swedish-Danish-Norwegian union of companies (the North European Luma Co-op Society) began planning an independent manufacturing centre. Economic and legal threats by Phoebus did not achieve the desired effect, and in 1931 the Scandinavians produced and sold lamps at a considerably lower price than Phoebus.
The original Phoebus agreement was intended to expire in 1955[citation needed]; however, World War II greatly disrupted the operation of the cartel.
Posted 9:56 AM by Matt Prescott
UK rejects call to include light bulb ban in EU renegotiations
According to www.lighting.co.uk, Energy Minister Greg Barker has resisted laws to tinker with the laws that have successfully led to a transformation of the domestic lighting industry. Tthe EU phase out of domestic incandescent light bulbs has now been law for a few years and accelerated the introduction a range of new energy efficient lighting technologies (using up to 90% less electricity) which offer good and controllable light as well as falling prices... The Ban The Bulb energy efficiency campaign is glad to see this law being defended as a way of cutting energy use and driving technological innovation.
Energy minister Gregory Barker has rejected a call for the UK to be exempted from the EU’s ban on incandescent lamps.
During a debate in the House of Commons yesterday, David Nuttall, Conservative MP for Bury North in Greater Manchester, said the UK needed a “complete exemption” from the European ban, which has seen a gradual phase out of inefficient incandescents from the market since 2009.
Nuttall said the exemption would form part of the renegotiation of the UK’s EU membership. He said the UK should be given back “the right to be able to use whatever light bulbs we want – without being told what to do by the EU”.
But the energy minister defended the ban: “By having energy-efficient light bulbs, we are driving innovation and driving down people’s electricity bills. We do not want to go back to having high-cost energy bills and turning our back on innovation.”
Sheila Gilmore, Labour MP for Edinburgh East, asked whether allowances could be made for people with “photosensitive health conditions”.
She urged the minister to consider the implications on health: “Many people clearly suffer health ill-effects from both compact fluorescent light bulbs and LED lighting.”
Barker said: “The UK is sympathetic to concerns raised about the potential health impacts of lighting.” He promised to press the European Commission to take this view into account in the upcoming review.
“We want a flexible approach. And we want to ensure that the EU takes on board the health concerns that have been raised about these technologies.”
source: http://www.lighting.co.uk/news/energy-minister-rejects-call-for-bulb-ban-exemption/8664523.article Posted 9:41 AM by Matt Prescott
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