t
i
l
i
t
^orttani» (Obseruer
August 3, 2011
Page II
Don’t Turn Out Lights on Bulb Innovation
House vote
undermines
leadership in
technology
by
K athleen R ogers
In a close vote, the
House recently passed a
provision that undercuts
one of the most success
ful environmental pro
grams of the decade - one that re
quires all bulbs -- including the in
candescent — to achieve higher ef
ficiency levels.
The am endm ent, which was
tacked on to the Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Act
of 2012, delays a ban on sales of
incandescent bulbs for nine months
- fromJan. 1 until the end of the fiscal
year. Sept. 30,2012 - turning off the
lights on this successful program.
The legislation, if passed by the
Senate, will repeal one of those suc
cess stories that seems near impos
sible these days — legislation that
was drafted with the help of light-
bulb manufacturing giants, Philips,
General Electric and Sylvania, and
with the support of a coalition of
Thomas Edison created the light
efficiency and environmental orga bulb in 1879, one of the great U.S.
nizations, including my own — inventions that helped solidify
passed by a bipartisan majority of America’s reputation as a global
the House and Senate and was innovator and a place where inno
signed into law in 2007 by Republi vation would be rewarded.
can President George W.
His incandescent bulb, though it
Bush.
revolutionized the world, spends
More unusual was the fact most of its life making heat, not light,
that California and Nevada, and it's remarkable for its ineffi
then under leadership of Re ciency by today’s standards. After
publican governors, swal a slow start, and in the face of a
lowed hard and gave up their global phase-out, manufacturers
own state lighting-efficiency began the arduous, expensive and
legislation, which had faster time sometimes exciting process of rein
tables.
venting lighting.
They did so because they were
Now, despite th eir d etracto rs,
persuaded by all of us that creating the new g e n e ra tio n s o f light
a single regulatory light-bulb stan bulbs, inclu d in g the new highly
dard for the whole country would efficien t in can d escen t, is rev o
support innovation; would help the lution izin g indoor, outdoor, and
United States maintain its market street lighting. And these new
share of production; save Ameri or im p ro v ed b u lb s w ill save
can households money; create new A m erican fam ilies $ 100 to $200
jobs; and would give industry what every year, for a total savings o f
it craves much more than the anti- $12 b illion for A m erican h o u se
regulatory crowd would have you holds every year. It also will
believe.
save m ore than 2,000 A m erican
It seems fair to use the term “dim jo b s, inclu d in g those in high-
bulb” to describe those members of rate unem ploym ent areas such
Congress who voted to turn back as P en n sy lv an ia and O hio.
the clock. It's up to the Senate to
The survival of the legislation
rectify this wrong.
also means we won't be putting 1
million tons of climate pollution in
our atmosphere, which is the equiva
lent of taking 17 million cars off the
road, saving our country money,
energy and lives.
Certainly, Thomas Edison would
have embraced this technology for
its energy and cost savings, as he
often said, "Waste is worse than
loss.”
This legislation is simply one of
many dozens of efforts that Con
gress is seriously entertaining that
would roll back progress and stifle
innovation.
From dissolution o f the Envi
ronm ental Protection Agency to
sta llin g a ir-q u a lity ru les that
would reduce m ercury in the air,
to blocking EPA from regulating
clim ate pollutants, to even more
subtle arid dam aging efforts —
congressional leadership is ca
pitulating to Tea Partiers and oth
ers who m yopically and tragically
see regulation as an impediment
to their version o f a happy and
prosperous life - a life that seems
to include wastefulness.
This legislation is simply one of
many dozens of efforts that Con
gress is seriously entertaining that
would roll back progress and stifle
innovation. From dissolution of
EPA to stalling air-quality rules that
would reduce mercury in the air, to
blocking EPA from regulating cli
mate pollutants, to even more subtle
and damaging efforts — congres
sional leadership is capitulating to
Tea Partiers and others who myopi
cally and tragically see regulation
as an impediment to their version of
a happy and prosperous life - a life
that seems to include wastefulness.
Then to get us there, they have
filtered out the long history of bipar
tisanship on energy solutions and
environmental protection. Have
they forgotten that Republican Presi
dent Ronald Reagan pushed and
pushed hard for energy efficiency
standards and energy innovations?
There is one piece of ancient
technology that American voters
should insist on keeping- a good
old-fashioned broom . And we
should use it to sweep out those
members of Congress whose dedi
cation against all regulations and
support for unfettered individual
freedom is undermining America’s
global leadership in technology and
innovation, maybe permanently.
Kathleen Rogers is president of
Earth Day Network.
Countering the Deadly Violence against Police
It in our best
interests to keep
officers safe
lectively, we have to work together lice shooting.
to stop police shootings.
Schools, churches and commu
Over the years, we’ve seen a nity centers must also pool their
significant num ber of African- resources to develop after school
A m ericans around the and summer programs that serve at-
country join their law en risk youth and unemployed men
by J udge G reg M athis
forcement office, diversi and women. The more activities a
A report released by the
fying the force and reduc person is involved in and the more
National Law Enforcement
ing some of the historical community support they have, the
Officers Memorial Fund, a
racial tensions between less opportunity they have to com
group that works to pro
the department and the mit crime off the streets.
m ote law en forcem ent
community.
Finally, local governments have
safety, indicates violence against
Those law enforcement and com- to work to reduce gun availability.
police is at an all-time high, even m unity bonds m ust be further W hether through buyback pro
though overall violent crimes have strengthened; police and residents grams, reward programs for anony
significantly declined.
must work together to police neigh mous tips or some other method,
According to the report, fatal borhoods. Community policing can getting illegal guns off the streets
police shootings reached a 20-year help stop crime before it occurs and has to remain a priority. Doing so
high in the first half of 2011; 40 will lessen the chance that, say, a will reduce deaths among commu
officers were killed by gunfire. More simple robbery escalate into a po nity members and officers.
than 25-percent o f those fatal
shootings occurred in January,
when 11 officers from around the
country were killed.
I
Attn-. Subscriptions, The |
In one deadly 24-hour period in | $60.00 for 6 m onths • $110.00 for 1 year Portland Observer, PO Box I
January, 11 officers nationwide were I $200.00 for 2 years (please include check wiOi form ) 3137, Portland OR 97208. g
shot; three of them died. If the fatal
shootings continue at this rate,
N ame :
shootings will be, for the first time,
T elephone : ____________________________|
responsible for the majority of of
ficer deaths.
A ddress :
Looking at these numbers, it
would seem that it is open season
on law-enforcement officers. Col | o r entail subscriptions@ portlandobserver.com I
i S u’b s c r I b e" "
J
j
J
In the past, there has been fric
tion between residents and law en
forcement, particularly in African-
American communities. Harassment
by police and racial profiling has led
many of us to distrust the officers
who are there to protect and serve.
This friction, combined with the
societal ills - poverty, drug addic
tion and fatalistic attitudes, among
them - so many of our people face,
can lead to crime and, sometimes,
violent encounters with the police.
520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 • 503-796-9250
A full service
flower experience
• Birthdays
• Funerals
J
• Anniversaries
• Weddings
Open: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am til 5:30pm
Saturday 9am til 2pm.
___________ I
I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ |
Greg Mathis is a former Michi
gan District Court judge and cur
rent syndicated television show
judge.
Avalon Flowers
:" ’ ’ ’ ’ !
_________
However, when an officer is at
tacked or, God forbid, shot, the of
fender isn’t the only one who suf
fers. The entire community goes on
lock down, with increased police
presence; the officers are now on
edge and the tension only rises. It’s
in all of our best interests to work to
ensure officers are kept safe.
Cori S tew art-
Owner, Operator
Website: avalonflowerspdx.com
email: avalonflowers@msn.com
We Offer Wire Services