Unintended Consequences - CFLs and Greenhouse Gasses
Funny turn-around up North. British Columbia generates about 80% of its electricity from Hydroelectricity. (
BC Hydro)
So, when people install Compact Fluorescent Lamps in their house (which are heated with Natural Gas) their overall Carbon footprint goes up.
From the
Vancouver Sun:
Energy-efficient bulbs increase greenhouse gases: BC Hydro
Because they burn cooler, they cause home heating costs to rise, utility reports
Compact fluorescent lights are a darling of the environmental movement, but they're also likely to cause a net increase in greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a BC Hydro document.
Over the past five years, Hydro's promotion of compact fluorescents, or CFLs, has been so effective that British Columbia is now a North American leader in using the energy-saving bulbs.
However, in a recent filing to the B.C. Utilities Commission, Hydro states that widespread adoption of CFLs will have unintended consequences for the environment.
That's because conventional incandescent light bulbs throw off a significant amount of heat, in addition to lighting a room, because they are inefficient users of electricity.
Switch to cool-burning fluorescents and you use less power -- but your house is bit colder so you turn up the thermostat to compensate.
If you live in a house with a gas furnace, you're going to burn more fuel -- and cause more greenhouse gas (GHG) to be emitted into the atmosphere.
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't...
Posted by DaveH at February 22, 2009 7:02 PM
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