Michael Barbaro breaks down the various advantages, issues, and resistances to the great Compact Fluorescent light bulb conversion, with attention to the might that Wal-Mart is bringing to the table.
Light-bulb manufacturers, who sell millions of incandescent lights at Wal-Mart, immediately expressed reservations. In a December 2005 meeting with executives from General Electric, Wal-Mart’s largest bulb supplier, ‘the message from G.E. was, ?Don’t go too fast. We have all these plants that produce traditional bulbs,’ ‘ said one person involved with the issue, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of an agreement not to speak publicly about the negotiations.
The response from the Wal-Mart buyer was blunt, this person said. ‘We are going there,’ the buyer said. ‘You decide if you are coming with us.’
Now that’s some Wal-Mart Effect. [Link]
Just to follow up… If you read the Times’ piece last week and can’t get enough of this Compact Fluorescent chit-chat, prepare to return back down to earth with yesterday’s more sobering assessment from William Hamilton:
When I found out last week that Wal-Mart, America’s biggest company, was putting a push on compact fluorescent light bulbs, hoping to make them a new lighting standard at home because they use 75 percent less energy, last 10 times longer and would save me $30 over the life of each bulb, I thought to myself, what’s not to like?
Well, fluorescent light’s not to like, many people might say.
via the Core77 Monday Morning Must Read newsletter
January 11, 2007 at 12:16 am
Wal-Mart can try all they can, but i am still keeping an adjustable incandescent in my bedroom. Absolutely no apologizes to the greenies and their vegan justice bullshit.
January 11, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Taylor and I use the nifty twisty little fluorescent bulbs at home, and I’ve never noticed a major difference in lighting. It is nice not having to change light bulbs so often, and I find them easier to handle–I’m always afraid that the thin glass on the incandescent bulbs will shatter when I tighten them. But that’s just me.
January 11, 2007 at 9:25 pm
WalMart is advertising at The Pirate Bay. Awesome.
January 12, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Better to spend 5 hours a day meditating than spend an extra couple bucks to actually solve a real world problem, huh Lab?
January 12, 2007 at 5:44 pm
I use the fluorescents all over my apartment. The quality of the light is every bit as good as what incandescent bulbs put out. More importantly, I buy them because they save me money. Sorry, no “vegan justice bullshit” here.