Get rid of big TVs to make America green
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| Thu, 04-09-2009 - 2:30pm |
I guess it's time to get rid of big screen TV's, to save the world from global warming and what not.
I guess we really don't need televisions larger than 40". :)
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/03/23/state-considers-ban-on-big-screen-tvs/12993/
State considers ban on big screen TVs
In their continuing quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, state regulators have uncovered a new villain in the war on global warming : your big screen TV
Couch potatoes, beware.
The California Energy Commission is considering a proposal that would ban California retailers from selling all but the most energy-efficient televisions. Critics say the news standards could take 25 percent of televisions off the market — most of them 40 inches or larger.
“The larger the television, the more at risk it is of being banned unnecessarily in California,” said Douglas Johnson, senior director of technology police for the Consumer Electronics Association.
Association officials say the standards are not only unnecessary – because the federal government already regulates energy efficiency through the voluntary Energy Star program — but also ill-timed. The last thing our economy needs now is products taken off the market, they say.
Furthermore, they say that with a weak economy, consumers are going out less and watching TV more.
“This is really about regulating entertainment, not energy use,” Johnson said.
Poppycock, says the commission.
Affordable big screen TVs will still be available under the new standards, spokesman Adam Gottlieb said. In fact, he said the regulations will save you money.
The commission calculates that if you buy televisions meeting the proposed standards it’ll cut your annual energy use by — drum roll, please — $18 to $30 per television per year.
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to save money,” Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb said the commission is exploring the regulations to reduce the strain on the energy grid and to avoid building new power plants.
Televisions are the fastest growing consumer appliance in California. Californians are buying bigger TVs, and more of them. If something doesn’t happen, televisions are going to devour a bigger and bigger piece of the state’s power grid, which means we’ll need more power plants. More power plants mean more greenhouse gas emissions.
“Consumers aren’t aware of the hidden cost of powering these things,” Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb insisted that the regulations wouldn’t eliminate big screens from California stores. But the commission’s own draft report says TV energy use is “proportional to the screen size.” And there’s no doubt the regulations will limit energy use.
So if you’re in the market for big screen TV, now might be the time to buy. The regulations are expected to be approved this summer.

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People will be flocking to neighbouring states to buy their big screens.
What about people with multiple TV's? We have only the one.
Hey, if they put a deadline on this, with our sales tax just having gone up, I foresee a run on big screen TVs at our local retailers and a huge influx of cash to the retailers
**I
Like anything, if this actually happens, it will push the manufacturer's into trying to provide a product that will meet the standards.
Mass transit makes sense in very congested areas, sometime only during rush hours. Other times, mass transit is a very energy inefficient way to move a single person around.
How many empty busses should be operated in the name of keeping a city green?
You may find this interesting - http://www.templetons.com/brad/transit-myth.html
The DoE figures describe the average car as using 5500 BTUs/mile (23mpg) or 3,500 BTUs/passenger mile with an average load of 1.57 passengers. This is a "fuel to wheels" number based on burning the gasoline.
Putting the car at 3,500 I was disturbed to learn that city diesel buses and electric trolley buses are both mildly worse than the car in energy efficiency. Light rail systems are also slightly worse, on average, though it varies a lot from city to city. Commuter rail and subway (heavy rail) trains tend to be a bit better, but not a lot better. (Non-hybrid cars are also better at long haul than they are short haul.)
I think that many people do try to do what they can...everything helps.
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