THE PEACEKEEPER
STARFLEET
2011 CHAPTER
NEWSLETTER
OF THE YEAR
USS Niagara, NCC-75634
Volume 13, Issue 01
A Member Group of STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc.
January 2014
Incandescent Light Bulbs
a Thing of the Past
Only 4 In 10 Americans Are Aware Of The Incandescent
Light bulb Phase-Out
Article Courtesy of
The Huffington Post
Consumer ligh ng giant Osram Sylvania has just released the 2013
edi on of its Socket Survey — considered “an industry benchmark” and “the
only na onwide measure of public a tudes about energy‐efficient ligh ng
and awareness of ligh ng legisla on — and, as usual, the results are fraught
with excitement, op mism, fear, conflict, and all‐around bewilderment.
In addi on to the shocking discovery that Millennials don’t really think about light bulbs that much, the sur‐
vey found that only four in 10 respondents are aware that on Jan. 1, 2014, 40W and 60W incandescent bulbs, the
most popular light bulbs in America, will join energy‐was ng compatriots, 75W and 100W incandescent bulbs, in A‐
shape heaven when their domes c manufacture and import completely ceases.
And what about those who are aware that 40W and 60W bulbs will slowly (or not‐so‐slowly) fade away from
store shelves as part of the final phase‐out stage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007? What are a
decent chunk of them planning on doing in the beginning of the New Year?
Heading out to IKEA to stock up on cheap CFLs (not for much longer!)? Inves ng in high‐quality and afforda‐
ble LED models from the likes of Philips, Cree, or Sylvania? Dedica ng an en re weekend a ernoon to a house‐wide
light bulb switch‐out?
Nah, an es mated 30 percent of these informed consumers will be raiding the aisles of your local big box and
hardware stores, sweaty and wild‐eyed, grabbing all of the 40W and 60W bulbs that they can get carry. From there,
they’ll take their loot home and unload it discreetly in the garage before transpor ng it to an oversized hun ng case
in the basement where a sizable cache of incandescent bulbs, even a few remaining 100‐wa ers phased‐out in 2012,
are kept under lock and key.
A majority (46 percent) who don’t plan on stockpiling incandescents as a result of the final phase‐out, “plan”
to switch, not surprisingly, to CFLs. Twenty‐four percent of those polled expressed an affinity toward more efficient
but also more expensive LEDs; 13 percent are going the halogen route.
While less than half of consumers polled realize that the final phase‐out will kick‐in on the first of the year, 64
percent are “generally aware” that there an incandescent phase‐out has been oc‐
See BULB continued on pg. 2