But good news for suppliers of Heavy Metals

Originally published GTG Oct 2009

Useless heating system

Grey Town, Thursday:
Latest figures show that domestic gas consumption has jumped after the phase out of old-style incandescent light bulbs and their replacement with ‘low energy’ alternatives

Experts* say this is because the new bulbs emit less heat and so central heating systems are having to work harder to keep homes at the same temperature. This might not be a problem for Mediterranean countries but in Britain, where the summer lasts on average for only three and a half days in June, it makes a significant difference to home heating bills

Add to that the extra resources used in their manufacture, and the fact they take longer to ‘warm up’ (encouraging people to leave their lights on) makes it questionable just how much energy the new bulbs save

In the not too distant past, when scientists were required to have an education, this would have been recognized as a ‘zero sum game’. In today’s more enlightened age, when a career in science is accessible to anyone who can spell ‘climate’, it’s considered an essential step on our road towards ‘sustainability’

On the bright side (ha ha – Ed) the changeover has been good for bulb manufacturers, who can now charge 50 times as much for their products, as well as for exporters of exotic rare earth minerals and toxic ingredients such as mercury

*Source: a pair of teenage chavs overheard arguing about thermodynamics on a 119 to Waddon

GTG Enviro-Mental
because we we care!

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