April 22, 2009, - 12:07 pm
Earth Day Green Hypocrisy Costs Taxpayers Mucho Money, Obscures Astronomers’ View
By Debbie Schlussel
**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****
It’s bad enough that airhead, fake “conservative” Elisabeth Hasselbeck was pimping Earth Day and the “endangered rainforest” crap on us on today’s edition of ABC hag-fest “The View.”
But the green movement is not just a lie. It’s costly and draining taxpayers’ money by the gazillions. And it affects the ability of astronomers to view other planets.
Streetlights were the first big users of electricity. Now, they are being re-engineered to improve efficiency, but at a cost that today’s municipalities might have a tough time covering.
San Jose, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley, is testing a concept called “adaptive lighting,” in which streets can be made brighter, darker or even be illuminated with flashing strobes upon command.
By summer, the city will have installed 125 streetlamps using LED technology, in one of the biggest urban tests of the science so far in the U.S. . . .
But the cost savings will take time to materialize. . . . Many cities have LED traffic signals, but because of the high cost of producing white light with LED, local governments have been reluctant to install them in streetlights. The effort is further complicated not only by strapped municipal coffers, but resistance from star-gazers and others who object to LEDs brighter glare. . . .
San Jose expects to spend $150,000 to $200,000 on a pilot project in its Hillview North neighborhood, and it is seeking an additional $2 million in federal stimulus funds to enlarge the test.
The LED streetlights being tested in San Jose could save anywhere from 10% to 60% on energy use, depending on their brightness. The white LEDs will have a range of between one and 82 watts and will replace 55-watt, yellowish sodium-vapor lamps. . . .
But for now, many cities see little financial advantage to switching their lighting systems.
It can cost $600 to install a single LED streetlight, compared with $200 for a sodium-vapor lamp. What’s more, utilities often charge cities a flat rate based on the number of streetlamps they operate, regardless of use.
Fourteen miles east of San Jose on Mount Hamilton, the astronomers at the Lick Observatory have another concern: The bright white light of LEDs illuminate the night sky and obscure views of planets and stars. The scientists helped San Jose select its sodium lamps in the 1980s because the observatory can filter out yellow light. “Going to any other kind of lighting is detrimental,” says Burt Jones, the observatory’s assistant director.
It’s interesting that these new LED lights might only save San Jose 10%. Plus the city pays a contractor to control the lighting–something they didn’t have to pay for with regular lighting.
Think about that the next time you hear bimbos and airheads (like Elisabeth Hasselbeck) telling you to go green to save the rainforest.
You’re not saving anybody . . . except some lighting companies and contractors who are making out very well from these ridiculous, costly switchovers.
Now, you’ll excuse me, as I go out to do errands and ask for a few more plastic bags to “destroy the environment.”
**** UPDATE: Reader Bob adds:
LED traffic lights and street lights will/don’t fare well in the colder climates. By their nature, LED’s do not produce much heat and without that “waste heat” cannot keep themselves clear of ice and snow! LED traffic lights quickly become covered and obscured by blowing snow and freezing rain.
My contribution to prevent “global warming:”
1 – To celebrate “earth day,” today and for the next seven days I’ll turn on all the incandescent lights of my home, 24/7.
2 – I’ll buy a second Hummer.
3 – I’ll keep my tap water running night and day.
4 – I’ll buy a second washer and dyer.
5 – I’ll fly more instead of driving short trips.
6 – I’ll keep on using plastic bags for groceries.
7 – I’ll run all my electronics day and night whether I need them or not.
8 – I’ll destroy my backyard tree.
9 – I’ll use more sprays of all sorts.
10 – I’ll eat more red meat.
Independent Conservative on April 22, 2009 at 1:08 pm