What are we going to do when the T12 Ban finally arrives? The only thing I can think of would be to buy as many T12's as I can afford. All these stupid energy usage, water usage, etc. requirements are complete BOGUS! Does anyone have any ideas of how to get around Bulb Bans?

They likely will not ban all T12 lamps but only the ones that dont meet the efficiency threshold, I looked it up and it seems the 34w "energy saving" T12 are not included in the ban. Ive also heard that all Mercury Vapor lamps except 175w and 250w will be phased out sometime next year. That means 50w, 100w/125w, 400w and 1000w will no longer be around. Im gonna load up on 100w mercs as I still use them outside. I agree 100% though, these lamp bans are just another way for the gov't to control our lives

You can`t get around a bulb ban, sadly once giant corporate business has decided they want a new product on the market, (one that will make them even more profit), they only have to give the `puppets` that are in power a generous `donation`, and the ban wheels start to turn!

http://www.lighting-gallery.net/index.php?topic=3262.0

My comment there, relevant also for this thread here.

I was informed that ALL T12's were to be banned. Some people say only lamps that are less than 87 CRI are to be banned. Others say that ALL F40's, and ALL T12 Single pin are to be banned. This is very confusing, and I am very concerned about which lamps to stock up on. Somebody PLEASE make a list of exactly which lamps are to be banned.

I don't know which lamps will be banned, but I would bet that whatever lamps get banned will probably continue to be available (remaining stock in online stores, NOS lamps in thrift stores, etc.) for several years more. Furthermore, the manufacturers will probably find a way to worm their way around the ban in some cases by marketing the lamps for special purposes. For example, GE and Sylvania sell plain old full mercury 8' lamps as "for cold temperature use only" to get around the reduced mercury thing.

The US T12 lamp ban is already in effect and CWX, DX, and Chroma 50, Design 50 and Colortone 50 are exempt. The EU ban however is a blanket ban on ALL T12 lamps and simply requires an HF (Electronic) or Switchstart (preheat) conversion of Semi Resonant Start (similar to rapid start) fixtures.

The European F36T8 will work on US F40 preheat ballasts and the F18T8 (not the FO17T8 aka F17T8) will work in any F20T20 Preheat ballast and new ballasts are marked with 18 watts.

Speaking of F36T8 lamps, NEC has a nice one that they don't have in the US market. I forget the name, but it is a 5000K QUAD Phosphor lamp.

@jrmcferren : The "bans" do not name any exact lamp type, but only a minimum efficacy limit for given light output and color quality (so the Chroma50 fall into a category with very high CRI, where the efficacy limit figures are lower, so a F40T12 design could meet that).

But it is true, practically no T12 on the market could meet those limits. But if someone manages to make a F40T12 meeting those limits (high efficacy phosphor,...), such lamp would be allowed. But it will be expensive, while way cheaper to make T8 are able to fit there, so no maker will do the T12, as there will be no demand for such product.

And the SRS ballasts are not banned at all, again provided they meet the efficiency criteria (not much harder to meet than preheat). But as there will be no T12 on the market and as the SRS can not start the common lamps (T8), there will be no market for such ballasts.

I'm disgusted with these lighting bans too, we're getting screwed over and most Americans don't even care anymore. So sad.

I don't think ANYBODY cares except us on LG.

The only thing most people would notice is the price increase. The U.S. T12 ban took effect in July 2012, so most of the T12s in stores are compliant with the new standards. July 2014 the T8 ban takes effect, which will eliminate most 700 series F32T8 lamps.

Well I guess that "act of congress" will not be all that bad. I installed 16 Philips L741 next to some CW Supreme. They looked awful.

I'm pretty sure, the inefficient technologies would die on their own without any ban or legislation, if the supposed replacement would be really working and usable. See gas lamps, carbon arc lamps, candles, carbon and platinum filament incandescents, medium pressure MV's and so on. These haven't need any legislation to go out of business and become replaced by the more efficient replacements.
So I'm sure, the "inefficient" incandescents and the awful color fluorescents would have the same fate as well, sooner or later.
I would even say the incandescents were already on their way out of the scene way before the bans, the halophosphate fluorescents starting to heading that way as well and so on...