Those incandescent light bulbs really are a big problem.
…He also has an extended rant about the “debate” over banning incandescent lightbulbs (or rather, setting a minimum energy performance standard) during the election last year. I also am appalled by the stupidity of National’s running against this. It’s a classic case of market failure – the market can’t pursue the obvious solution of more efficient lighting because the costs are not transparent.
I’m unclear as to where the market has failed here. People know the savings to be made, and the downsides. Some decide to replace, some do not.
Maybe the article he’s talking about has the answer?
Uptake was slow, and there were two main reasons. 1) People were poorly informed about their benefit, safety and functionality. 2) Price signals weren’t transparent – you can’t tell how much of your power bill was for your lightbulbs, and how much was for your dryer. So even if your incandescent lightbulb wasted $118 more power, you’d never know, since the price signals weren’t clear to the end user. That’s market failure.
Well, people are now much better informed as to how dangerous these things are. Given the uptake is said to be slow, surely this is less a case of market failure, and more a case of market success with special interest groups throwing a hissy fit about it.
Regulation is perfectly justified in such circumstances, even within the free market paradigm. But this was more a case of National seizing on something to whip up hate and demonstrate its anti-environment cred than any rational policy making.
The only reason to install these bulbs is to make people do something that is supposed to be in their own interests. Adults in a free society are by definition able and free to make decisions themselves about what is in their interest. Treating the populace like children is exactly what causes people to cry “nanny state”.
Unfortunately, thanks to their stupidity, we all get to suffer. Thanks, National!
And that last part is the part that gets to me.
I mean, how am I suffering? What happiness have I forgone by not having my fellow citizens forced to only purchase light bulbs they did not want to purchase?
Am I supposed to be feeling some sort of pain or dizzyness? Depression perhaps? If not, what form should this suffering take? Who knows.
Sinister stuff.
Written by scrubone
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