Script

AK: Hi, my name is Anna Kate and our bill of discussion is house bill number 432 sponsored by democrat Jane Harman of California, on the subject of energy efficient lighting in mass numbers. Our bill was drafted to amend another bill. Our bill is an amendment numbered 31 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit funds to be used to purchase light bulbs unless the light bulbs have the "ENERGY STAR" or "Federal Energy Management Program" designation. This means that companies like ‘Walmart’ would have to get light bulbs with an ‘ENERGY STAR’ or Federal Energy Management Program designation.

AK: I am for this bill for many reasons. Compact Fluorescents use 75% less energy than your typical everyday light bulb. Also it produces 90% less heat, which is great because you not only save money but help you Earth too!

K: Hey I am Kimberly! Compact fluorescents are nice and all but they are a bit unrealistic. In other words, the incandescent bulbs we have been using for centuries are inexpensive, easy to find, and fit most all types of lighting fixtures. In the time of a struggling economy such as now people are going to want something practical, not expensive and complicated. On the contrary, they produce 75% less energy and 90% less heat because they do not light up as brightly and do not work well in cool temperatures, not to mention they take a long time to come on, which makes them undependable in emergency lighting systems.

AK: Even though Compact Fluorescents have a higher voltage range than the competing light bulb; it saves you loads of money over time! Yes, it is true that the original price is$ 2.50 per bulb, when the incandescent bulb only cost $.58 but the initial price ends up a lot cheaper on your energy bill, which is a real money-saver. Also, since compact fluorescents last 8-10 times longer than an incandescent bulb, you save even more money because you do not have to replace these bulbs over a short period of time.

K: On the contrary the incandescents have a wider range of voltage that can be controlled whereas the compact fluorescent sometimes can interfere with tvs, radios, and cell phones. Also you will not start saving money until you have used 700 hours worth of compact fluorescent lighting which is the equivalent of spending excess money for three years and then only saving about 15% of what you have spent.

AK: 3yrs are worth it because you use light bulbs for the rest of your life. And compact fluorescents equal one life span of 11 incandescent light bulbs!

K: Well if you are using light bulbs for the rest of your life it’s very probable that they are going to break and incandescent bulbs are durable during transportation (unlike compact fluorescent light bulbs where 1 in every 8 is broken) and incandescent bulbs don’t have mercury in them so cleanup and disposal is easy whereas if you break a compact fluorescent light bulbs toxic chemicals are released which can be harmful to adults and fatal to young children.

AK: Well, when you put one of those incandescent light bulbs in one of your lamps, you are most likely going to burn your skin by just touching it. Also, these bulbs can make you sick in the summer because of all that heat they give off! I would much rather clean up a little mess than possibly become sick from the heat.

AK: Another great point is that compact fluorescents last for a much longer period than incandescent bulbs. If every household changed one light to a Compact fluorescent bulb, we would save 600 million in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 800,000 cars from the road.

K: Well that is only if you get a bulb that hasn’t already been broken. Also the world has been using incandescent light bulbs since Thomas Edison and why would you try to fix a problem that is non-existent. That is the main reason this bill failed.

AK: I think many people all around the world do not understand the importance of our Earth and how to help it keep moving. Another thought is that when people realize what is happening to our Earth, they get scared or overwhelmed or think that just one person would do anything to help. That is where they are wrong. Just changing one light bulb round your home can help our Earth go round. So I strive to encourage those who want to do something, just change your way of living when it comes to energy. Be more conservative, and it will come back to reward you in no time!

K: Well then why don’t all of us just get rid of our cars too? Point being it is unrealistic. And that concludes our discussion, Thanks for listening.