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The Future of TV
| Fri Sep. 18, 2009 8:11 AM PDT
In a move clearly inspired by Barack Obama's plan to turn the United States into a grim socialist hellhole, California plans to regulate giant TVs:
The first-in-the-nation TV efficiency standards would require electronics retailers to sell only energy-sipping models starting in 2011. Even tougher efficiency criteria would follow in 2013.
....The rules, which took more than a year to develop, are designed to shave $8.1 billion off Californians' electricity bills over a 10-year-period. That works out to $30 per set per year, according to commission officials.
It will also help California utilities head off the need to build more power plants just so residents can watch "American Idol" and other shows. TVs already account for 10% of residential energy use in California, driven largely by surging demand for large-screen TVs. Strict state mandates for cutting greenhouse gas emissions are further pressuring officials to act.
I suppose Congress could override this rule if TVs were part of interstate commerce, but that's a pretty ridiculous notion since practically everyone buys televisions from stores in their own state1. So I guess we're out of luck. We Golden Staters will have to continue our desperate struggle against the jackboot of the California Energy Commission all by ourselves.
1In case you don't get the joke, see here.
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Comments
They're not made where they're bought
Submitted by anandine on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 8:21 AM PDT.
TVs are bought mostly from local stores, but they are not made there. They are made in China, and most of them cross a state line after they land in San Pedro.
The Future of TV
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 8:41 AM PDT.
We Golden Staters will have to continue our desperate struggle against the jackboot of the California Energy Commission all by ourselves.
Sarcasm becomes you.
but can your readers tell?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 8:53 AM PDT.
It's obvious enough to a reader with a law degree that you're joking -- of COURSE televisions are interstate commerce -- but I wonder if you're going above some of your readers' heads there. I know you have smart readers, but it certainly would sound like a plausible idea to someone who knows nothing about the law that interstate commerce would exclude stuff you buy in your own state... so I think you should go ahead and stick an asterisk on a statement like that and then ham-fistedly flag it as sarcasm. Putting it in proximity with another sentence that's clearly sarcastic (your strategy here) is a little subtle.
thanks!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 10:42 AM PDT.
Yep, that footnote does the trick perfectly.
California TV regulation
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 8:50 AM PDT.
Does the legislation say anything about computer monitors? Maybe stores will just sell large screen TVs as large computer monitors
They already do. All screens
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:01 PM PDT.
They already do. All screens are "monitors", some have TV tuners.
Air conditioners & dryers
Submitted by Derek (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 9:19 AM PDT.
I assume CA must already regulate air conditioners and clothes dryers in a similar way, since they use a lot more juice than TVs do.
Window AC units come in two
Submitted by Art Eclectic on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 10:25 AM PDT.
Window AC units come in two energy flavors: Energy Star Qualified and not. In general, Lowe's has a much better selection of Energy Star units while Home Depot makes a barely half-hearted attempt. Since most large utilities offer rebates of $50 on Energy Star rated window AC units, it is a foolish customer who buys an energy hog AND loses out the 50 bucks.
New whole house AC units are now ALL efficient, as the government has mandated 13 SEER as a minimum.
Not much you can do with clothes dryers and ovens.
insulate them.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:30 PM PDT.
insulate them.
I am the power!
Submitted by jhm on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 9:27 AM PDT.
When I was shopping for a super size TV, I found out that whatever qualities that Plasmas might have, they are unqualified power hogs, using more than four times the power of my old CRT. So when I tried to check out the power requirements of LCDs, I noticed that no manufacturer lists this (it usually says "N/A). When I got the thing home, I noticed that the default settings (Brightness, backlight et cetera) not only made colors look weird (in a bad way, people looked more like glowing pumpkin orange monsters), the power was a few times more. When I used the "expert" preset, the colors looked normal, and the power consumption was comparable. Why they wouldn't admit to these facts from the outset eludes me, but my theory is that people like the glowing pumpkins and LCD need to compete.
Oh fuck this shit already.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 9:36 AM PDT.
Oh fuck this shit already. My car got 20 mpg and so no Cash for Clunkers for me.
But I have two old electron guzzling TVs and I want my federal dollars.
I want my federal dollars, do you hear me?
While CA is setting
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 10:00 AM PDT.
While CA is setting standards, would you please do something about text books to insure real science get included. We need someone to counter balance TX.
While they're at that, they
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 6:13 PM PDT.
While they're at that, they might want to do something about teaching people the difference between "insure" and "ensure." See also: "I could care less about..." and "should of" (should have).
Properly speaking, your
Submitted by BureauCat on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 10:55 AM PDT.
Properly speaking, your footnote should be in a larger font, bold-faced, and with a flashing box around it. Altho at this time on a Friday, everyone here is just grouchily waiting for teh kitties.
But it isn't just large screens that are inefficient. It's just that many of them are made to stay on constantly and use amperage over voltage.
To put it another way: My 30" tube-type uses less energy than the average 30" plasma or LED. But my Apple computers - with the screen and computer together - use less power altogether than the median TV or PC of the same size.
So there's lots of room for improvement.
The energy-star compliant AC
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 6:24 PM PDT.
The energy-star compliant AC units suck. YOu have to use twice as many of them if you actually want to get cool.
Well, let's clarify. This
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 6:25 PM PDT.
Well, let's clarify.
This has NOTHING to do with the size of the TV, only the energy consumption of the TV.
A 50" LCD is going to use not much more power than a 32" LCD.
If you don't like it get the f*ck out
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 6:45 PM PDT.
Do you remember a few years back the rolling blackouts? Nobody is saying you can't have a giant TV, just that it needs to be energy efficient. I hope they'll extend this to other major electrical devices.
I think there are plenty of
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 6:50 PM PDT.
I think there are plenty of harsh environment harming industries out there that should draw a bit more focus than controlling the size of our television.
Ridiculous-
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 6:53 PM PDT.
Americans should buy the TV they want!
Ah yes California. The land
Submitted by Dan (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:05 PM PDT.
Ah yes California. The land where you don't have access to electricity and running water 24 hours a day. What a beautiful place. lol
How is Obama being blamed
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:23 PM PDT.
How is Obama being blamed for "The rules, which took more than a year to develop"? Seems like this is something that was needed (I see a ref to the blackouts) in Cali. Arnold has run that state's finances into the ground and I see no ref to this. Cali is broke, period. Be subjective and google it. Take the first 3 pages of info and decide for yourself. I found this link from Digg, but don't think I'll be visiting motherjones again.
this is just more hate hate hate (can't expect more much of a pig than a grunt)...work to a solution people, you're worse than anit-war activist in '03.
It's a good idea
Submitted by Andy (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:26 PM PDT.
To say that you won't be able to buy a big screen TV because of this legislation passing is ludicrous. It’s like telling car manufacturers that they have to build automobiles that get so many miles per gallon; people are obviously still going to buy cars and drive around.
The legislation merely puts pressure on television manufacturers to produce televisions that are more energy efficient in an effort to reduce energy consumption.
So what’s the big deal here? I think that it’s a great idea and I hope that it spreads to other electronic devices.
I wouldn't be surprised if
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:31 PM PDT.
I wouldn't be surprised if republicans would take this seriously.
Medincinal Marijuana that is NOT interstate commerce
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Sep. 18, 2009 7:36 PM PDT.
If medicinal marijuana that is grown in the state of California, since it would not be interstate commerce, would the enforcement of federal drug laws could therefore be ruled as unconstitutional?
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