Letter of the day: Why should government tell us what to buy?

To The Editor:
Thomas Edison must be turning in his grave right about now. The Canadian government is poised to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs. As of Jan.1, 2012, the familiar incandescent bulb will be phased out, and by next spring the only bulbs available will be compact fluorescents (those little curly ones), and LED bulbs.
The ban has already taken effect in British Columbia much to the dislike of both consumers and retailers. While not everyone might lament the death of the incandescent bulb, losing the freedom to buy them is something that should concern us very much indeed.
Think about it. If incandescent bulbs can be banned in the supposed interest of saving the environment, then what’s next? Can you imagine a day when the government controls not only what kind of light bulbs you use, but what kind of car you can drive, how much water and electricity you can use, and perhaps even what kind of foods you can eat?
It may sound like fantasy, but such ideas do exist and there are people in the world who would like to make them a reality. Now don’t get me wrong, I care about the earth too, but I also value my personal freedom. Making eco-friendly choices of our own free will is fine, but it’s a different matter altogether when the government starts making those choices for us.
Our soldiers fought and gave their lives so we could have freedom in every sense of the word, and that includes the freedom to choose which products we want to buy.
It’s interesting to note that these CFL bulbs aren’t as eco-friendly as we’ve been lead to believe.
While they do use much less energy, they also contain mercury which, if released, can be very harmful to people and the environment. CFL bulbs also have numerous other safety and performance issues, which is largely what has hindered their popularity. When you consider all the drawbacks of CFL bulbs you have to wonder just why this change is being made, and who really stands to benefit the most from it.
If you agree that we should remain free to choose which light bulbs to buy, it’s not too late to take action. One of the easiest things you can do is write your MP, or local newspaper, or simply talk about it with your family and friends; you’d be amazed how many people are unaware and disapprove of this impending change.
Oh, and if you plan on using incandescent bulbs for a few more years, I suggest you start stocking up now, just in case.   www.bgocled.com