Light Bulbs Too Expensive? Blame China

[The Straight Story]

Light Bulbs Too Expensive? Blame China

Most Americans probably don’t know what europium oxide is. But they surely know one of the consumer products it’s widely used in: compact fluorescent light bulbs.

They also may have noticed just how expensive these light bulbs have become, and the answer to why this is goes back to europium oxide, a rare earth element made available largely by China, which controls 95% of this market.

Compact fluorescent bulbs have shot up in price this year, by 37%, because China has cut back on production of europium oxide, along with other rare earth minerals. Chinese officials claim that the cutbacks are due to efforts to reduce pollution from the mining of such minerals, although it is more likely that the Chinese Communist Party is trying to manipulate the prices of key materials needed for all kinds of electronic and other consumer items.

The reduced availability of europium oxide also is impacting green technologies like wind turbines and electric motors, creating a “chilling effect” on the development of the alternative energy sector, Michael N. Silver, chairman and chief executive of American Elements, told The New York Times. Europium oxide is also used to produce plasma TVs.

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/Light_Bulbs_Too_Expensive__Blame_China_110920

[tridim]

1. It's interesting that fluorescent lights were dirt cheap until average people started using them.

[qb]

2. I hope this spurs further development of affordable LEDs.

[Skidmore]

5. Why are LEDs so expensive?

[qb]

6. Making consumer light bulbs out of them is relatively new, and it takes a lot of LEDs

to make them bright enough. Prices should come down after the manufacturing process is improved and more manufacturers enter the market.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. demand has nothing to do with it... n/t

[FarCenter]

4. Blame Congress for being stupid enough to mandate use of material that has to be imported

[qb]

7. Congress did not mandate the use of fluorescent light bulbs.

They mandated that most screw-in light bulbs be at least 27% more efficient by 2014. According to Consumer Reports, fluorescents, LED, and many halogen bulbs meet the requirements.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/home-improvement/lightbulbs/lightbulb-buying-advice/index.htm?EXTKEY=I15SPR0

[FarCenter]

8. LEDs are way more expensive and don't yet come in > 60 watt equivalents

And halogens are more expensive than incandescents, but have no greater life. There energy savings are marginally better than the 27%, and they are uneconomic on a lifecycle basis.