LED lighting, and a small ranty rant,

[kandrathe]

That reads a bit vague to me, excuse my weariness\wariness since I've been around that particular block for too long.

What do you mean by that exactly, do you mean you think it's stupid to ban a technology that is pretty much a buggy whip by today's standard? And it's pretty much on it's way out, except for very few uses that so far, there is no practical substitute for?

Right. One way to force people from internal combustion engines would be to ban them. But, the economic carnage would result in riots. There is no need to ban them. The adoption of technology over time will relegate both the internal combustion engine and the incandescent light bulb to be as useful as buggy whips (only fun on bondage night).

Incan light bulbs can take high temp no problem, so they're fine in oven lamps for example. IIRC, there is even exceptions for things like 'appliances clause' to cover this.

Though it doesn't make sense to keep putting incan lights or fluorescent in fridges and freezers, since LEDs is the opposite and loves the cold, and actually becomes more efficient the cooler the temperature. The only limiting factor is the electronics, but in general (and I don't claim I'm a electronickist here) most modern electronics likes cooler temps vs hotter temps.

If that's what you mean, I absolutely agree with you there.

Yes.

If what you meant is we lived with a 100 year old technology, because it's now 'tradition', and tradition must be defended because it's apple pie and sunshine. Eh...no.

If I'm going 'inna woods', along with my LED flashlight and a magnesium firestarter (though most likely it will be a dollar store Bic lighter), I may pack a hatchet that has a basic design so old a cave man might recognize it.

But I sure as hell am not going to carry a hatchet made out of stone. Now flint knapping is a great skill to have if you're stranded with absolutely no gear. Hell, I'd love to have some stone tools artifacts, a real antique bronze age sword, for the sheer historical value of it. But for going inna woods, in 2013? No thanks. There's been progress on material improvement somewhat. Same thing with lighting technology.

Not tradition. More it's a needless abuse of power. We don't use mechanical typewriters. Where are the phone booths? And, as for things that may not be efficient? Did we need to ban CRT? No. Once flat screen tech caught up people switched to what was more energy efficient and better.

I have no problem with government setting standards, as in you cannot have rat poison in milk. Seriously, I don't see that kind of thing as 'meddling'.

I don't even mind if they give out a one time prize for demonstrable, tech improvement etc. There are certain things that whether you or I like it or not, and even you acknowledged albeit backhandedly, only government can do. The invisible hand of the free market is not always a benevolent one, and government intervention\regulation is not always the big bad 'freedom lovers' make it out to be.

Product safety is an area where UL labs is a useful 3rd party. Everything is corruptible and especially in government, but I've seen it less with those entities whose existence depends upon a reliable objectivity, like Standard & Poors, Consumer Reports, or Underwriters Labs.

Regulations are necessary to defend the commons, and even to ensure products are "authentic". That is, they are working as advertised. We have a whole brouhaha in the US between people who sell raw food and their customers who seek to buy it. The government has rules you know. We must buy food from the processed food industry.

Now I'm not an architecturalist, but I did remember reading some years back, there was a debate on where the industry might go. Some wants LED to go custom designed, built in fixture. It has pros and cons, but it favours new construction obviously.

I think the rub for architecture would be the limitations that mandates impose upon design.

"You can build whatever building you like, as long as it is made from Camenbert cheese. "

But hey, there's always this store for all the freedom lovers who thinks big bad gov is taking away your incandescent bulb.

No need. You can get them mail order from Mexico, until the US Postal service goes postal on them -- and throws your butt into jail for smuggling illegal tech.