Starting from Tuesday, September 1st, 2009, European Union is banning the production of incandescent light bulbs above 80 Watts in a bid to introduce compact fluorescent models, widely known as energy-savings bulbs. In 2012, only "efficient" light bulbs will be allowed and by 2016, they want to ban even the halogen lamps. EU contend that the average family will save $64 per year on electric bills, and carbon emissions could be cut by 15 million tons. On the flip side, some 3,000 jobs could be lost since most incandescent bulbs sold in Europe are made in the region, while the fluorescent variety come from elsewhere.
This can be perceived as temporal victory of energy over matter, as the compact fluorescent models are five to seven times more energy efficient, then incandescent light bulbs. But this balance can be easily reversed in near future, because fluorescent lamps are more demanding on irrecoverable sources in form of rare earth elements (REEs), used in luminophore production. 95% of output production of rare earth elements comes from China and China is now considering a ban on certain rare earth elements. The solution may be organized recycling of these luminophores or the replacement of rare elements by another ones or increased usage of LED-based sources for illumination. This example illustrates, the replacement of power hungry solution is always followed by increasing consumption of material sources, thus demonstrating universal matter-energy duality.
Because younger son of Czech president Vaclav Klaus is top manager of CEZ, main energetic company of Czech Republic, his wife, economist Livie Klaus was member of the CEZ supervisory board until 2002 and another son got four million euros donation from CEZ for his private school last year, it's logical, Vaclav Klaus himself is well known lobbyist of CEZ company and promoter of energetic dependence of Czech Republic to Russian fossil fuel import. Therefore it's very not surprising, Vaclav Klaus boycotts environmental politics of EU and he is openly promoting the consumption of energy hungry incandescent light bulbs in public.
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11 comments:
Off topic: I have thought for a while and I think I have discovered a new weakness in AWT.
By the way. What is this? Are you Tony Devencenzi?
No - I'm not Tony Devencenzi in the same way, like I'm not T.J.J.See. Which "AWT_weakness" did you reveal this day?
I'm not Tony Devencenzi
Then, who are you? If you don't want to say, who you are, at least tell me How old are you? I bet that you're an old single man and you're too bored and tired for your life. The people, who know you, think you're a crackpot, a crazy man who bores everyone with his issues.
Am I wrong?
From now, I'm going to fight very hard against AWT. So, it's better for you forbid me to write at this blog.
I'm very tired of your nonsense. I'm going to try that the others readers don't visit your blog two times. So, you know with whom you are facing.
/*...that the others readers don't visit your blog two times..*/
Why they should, after all? You cannot understand the same things twicetimes.
/*..I'm going to fight very hard against AWT...*/
This is your free choice, indeed. You can even find your meaning of life in this.
BTW This post was labelled as a PSEUDOSCIENCE on physorg.com.
In 1992 prices for rare earth metals were twice as high and US was producing half of global production. Story continues Concern as China clamps down on rare earth exports. Rare earths reserves in Malawi, US, Canada and Australia.
Chinese customs officials are blocking shipments to Japan of rare earth elements (REEs) and companies have been informally told not to export them, says The New York Times. Despite having just 37 per cent of the world's estimated reserves, a whopping 97 per cent of world production now comes from China, according to a British Geological Survey report (pdf). Three years ago New Scientist reported on the alarming rate at which some of the world's reserves of rare metals are being used up. The US has its own rare earth mine at Mountain Pass in California, but it was closed in 2002 because of environmental issues. The report examined how long our supplies of various metals will last and where they are located. The Earth clearly has insufficient resources for the global population to live as those the west do, and if wealthy countries do not change their ways, that can only end in bitter quarrels. Disputes about diminishing essential elements may come to "dominate relations between countries"
Chinese officials have expressed hope foreign companies that use rare earths will shift production to China and share technology with local partners. The question is, why they should do it, if the China restricted the export of rare earths just to the countries, which developed these technologies.
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