Daylight Savings Time and Seasonal Affective Disorder

People who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder can also suffer when Daylight Savings Time begins and ends.

In the Spring when Daylight Savings Time ends, mornings are very dark and morning light is what SAD sufferers benefit the most from.

Read more on the cruelty of Daylight Savings Time here:

Daylight Saving Time Is America's Greatest Shame

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/11/daylight-saving-time-americas-greatest-shame/354753/ 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - videos

Seasonal Affective Disorder: More Than Just the Winter Blues

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that most often occurs during the shorter days of winter when our exposure to sunlight is reduced. Symptoms build up slowly & can include feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, weight gain, loss of energy, increased sleep & inability to concentrate.

Mental health expert Thomas Kuhn, M.D., from Holland Hospital Behavioral Health Services talks about how to recognize & manage Seasonal Affective Disorder in yourself or family members. Dr. Kuhn also discusses use of medications, diet, exercise, counseling & light therapy to treat SAD.

Video:

https://youtu.be/PRLATrNcftc 


https://youtu.be/yZf3KMJxwOQ

Seasonal Affective Disorder: SAD & Our Biological Clocks

Video:

https://youtu.be/Fr8opJlvCzw   

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Winter SAD & the Environment

Video:

https://youtu.be/qmy5cl379jA 

Seasonal Affective Disorder - Light Therapy Treatments 

Video:

https://youtu.be/oKcyKRkeSz4

 

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Treating Winter SAD

Video:

https://youtu.be/AtO7EY3Ka10

 

 

 

 

 

Toxic Light - The Dark Side of Energy Saving Bulbs

A look at how dangerous the new energy-saving light bulbs are. The EU has banned many incandescent bulbs in favor of Compact Florescent Lights (CFLs). CFLs emit serious toxins while being used. All Florescent lights contain Mercury. There is enough Mercury to pose a serious health risk in the event of a CLF breakage. 

People are being told to run out of the building for 15 minutes, open windows & turn off the heat. Additionally the bulbs don't last as long as advertised & they take a long time to warm up, decreasing in brightness over time. The light they emit isn't a full spectrum steady light. Few Bulbs actually get recycled & they need to be treated as hazardous materials when discarding them. Consumers be alerted!

A Report by Alexandra Pfeil

Video:


https://youtu.be/x0x3rbHFwQU

The Light Bulb Conspiracy - Videos

 

Planned Obsolescence is the deliberate shortening of product life spans to guarantee consumer demand. As a magazine for advertisers succinctly puts it: The article that refuses to wear out is a tragedy of business - & a tragedy for the modern growth society...

Once upon a time..... products were made to last. Then, at the beginning of the 1920s, a group of businessmen were struck by the following insight: 'A product that refuses to wear out is a tragedy of business' (1928). 

Thus Planned Obsolescence was born. Shortly after, the first worldwide cartel was set up expressly to reduce the life span of the incandescent light bulb, a symbol for innovation & bright new ideas, & the first official victim of Planned Obsolescence. 

During the 1950s, with the birth of the consumer society, the concept took on a whole new meaning, as explained by flamboyant designer Brooks Stevens: 'Planned Obsolescence, the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary...'. 

The growth society flourished, everybody had everything, the waste was piling up (preferably far away in illegal dumps in the Third World) - until consumers started rebelling... 

Can the modern growth society survive without Planned Obsolescence? Did the eternal light bulb ever exist? How can a tiny chip 'kill' a product? How did 2 artists from New York manage to extend the lives of millions of iPods? Is Planned Obsolescence itself becoming obsolete?

Links to Videos:

https://youtu.be/7wDjcFe8u1s 

https://youtu.be/ITP4kwZeUwo 

Another Video:

The Light Bulb Conspiracy uncovers how planned obsolescence has shaped our lives & economy since the 1920's, when manufacturers deliberately started shortening the life of consumer products to increase demand. 

The film also profiles a new generation of consumers, designers & business people who have started challenging planned obsolescence as an unsustainable economic driver.

The documentary begins by visiting the longest running light bulb in the world, which has burned continuously for over 110 years in Livermore, California. Initially, light bulbs were built to last. 

But the film finds historical evidence revealing how a cartel in the 1920's decided to produce bulbs limited to a maximum life of 1000 hours, making the humble light bulb one of the first examples of planned obsolescence & a model for increasing profits on other products.

Shot over 3 years in Europe, the U.S. & Ghana, The Light Bulb Conspiracy investigates the evolution & impact of planned obsolescence through interviews with historians, economists, designers & manufacturers, along with archival footage & internal company documents. 

The film profiles several well-known historical advocates -- Bernard London, who famously proposed ending the Great Depression by mandating planned obsolescence, & Brook Stevens, whose post-war ideas became the gospel of the 1950's & helped shape the throwaway consumer society of today.

The Light Bulb Conspiracy also looks at modern examples of planned obsolescence, including computer printers & the controversy over the inability to replace iPod batteries. 

Environmental consequences are seen most dramatically in the massive amounts of electronic waste that end up in uncontrolled dump sites in Third World countries such as Ghana. 

The film concludes with examples of consumers & businesses moving towards more sustainable practices & products, including Warner Philips, great grandson of the founder of Philips Electronics, who is producing an LED bulb designed to last 25 years.

Video:

https://youtu.be/D56nut_9e8s 

Cons of Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Here is an interesting article about the negatives (cons) of Energy Saving Light Bulbs:

http://teuservices.wordpress.com/2013/04

Here is a comprehensive article about things to consider when purchasing lights for light therapy to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder:

http://www.squidoo.com/sad-seasonal-affective-disorder-light-therapy

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)

Here is an article with animated diagrams that include a circuit diagram for a CFL light bulb.
He also explains dangers of these bulbs, how to read packages to understand how much lumens they emit, etc.

http://www.eec247.com/information/lighting/cfl/cfl.html

Another good article about the negatives of CFLs, which includes this paragraph:

"Incandescent lights (the classic light bulbs) basically consist of a wire in a glass container. Fluorescent lights work with gas in tubes, and inside of the bulbs electric lighters light this gas constantly, at a rate of approximately 60 hertz. Because of this, the light flickers, generally beyond perception; albeit at an annoying rate which may bother your eyes.
Fluorescent lights operate on a ballast. A ballast is an electrical device which generally acts as a resistor, but they work slightly differently in fluorescent lights, as they regulate the current to the light. Because of this ballast, headaches, nausea, reduced immune system functionality, and retina (eye) damage may occur. But this is nothing. It’s not incredibly scary, but I’m not done yet."

Click here for article:

http://canyouth.ca/2013/07/compact-fluorescent-lights-are-they-really-eco-friendly

One writer has written an article about how ugly and limited in style CFL bulbs are:

http://inhabitat.com/plumen-rethinking-the-fluorescent-bulb/plumen-creative-shapes-for-fluorescent-lights-plumen-creative-cfls-plumen-imaginative-compact-fluorescent-bulbs-plumen-compact-florescent-bulbs-hulger-hulger-electronics-rethinking-the-compact-f-3

A website that talks all about the environmental and health hazards of CFL bulbs:

http://stoppingatthegreenlight.wordpress.com 

Another writer talks in this article about how CFLs can damage skin and cause skin cancer:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10335639.htm 

Another good article by The Examiner "Shedding Light on Misleading Performance Claims" (of CFL bulbs):

http://www.examiner.com/article/cfl-bulbs-shedding-light-on-misleading-performance-claims

 For photographers, here is an article that explains the deficits of CFL bulbs when taking indoor photos with this lighting, who states "These bulbs do not have a high enough CRI (Color Rendering Index) for people":

http://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/1mi3ro/the_importance_of_high_cri_cfl_bulbs_illustrated

My Energy Saving Light Bulbs are Burning Out

The other day I replaced four (4) energy saving lightbulbs in light fixtures in my home.
They had burned out after I installed them about a year ago.
I work full time so I'm not home that much, yet they only lasted a year.
These were the highest lumen curley energy saving lightbulbs I could find.
They didn't explode. They were black at the bases when they died.

Fortunately I had some regular light bulbs on hand which I replaced the curley ones with.
Having Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), I need a lot of light in Winter.
My doctor prescribed light box therapy for me at home and at work.
I have a light box both at home and at work which really helps with S.A.D.

I am not happy with the high lumen energy saving light bulbs I purchased which died after one year.
My electricity is included with my rent, so I don't pay an electric bill.
Still, I purchased the curley energy saving light bulbs to see if they would emit enough light that I could tolerate it with my having S.A.D.
They did not emit enough light for my needs, even though I have a lot of lights in my home.

So what are the options for those that suffer from S.A.D.?
For those with aging eyes, which strain to see in buildings where these energy saving light bulbs are used?
If one stays at a hotel, you could have a regular light bulb you brought and put it in a lamp.
However, it is hard to travel with a light bulb and not have it break.

I visited my sister once who has all energy-saving light bulbs in her home and it was like a cave to me.
I could hardly see.
I find the color of the light is yellowish and is not bright.

So now I will try to buy more regular high lumen light bulbs before they're completely gone from store shelves.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs and Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)

Energy Saving Light Bulbs and Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)

Governments of countries that mandate requirements that their citizens must purchase Compact Flourescent Lamps (CFLs) for indoor lighting use does not take into account that this has serious negative ramifications for those individuals who suffer the affliction of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), a condition that affects a person mentally, emotionally, physiologically and physically.

Wikipedia has an article about CFLs - energy saving light bulbs which I am referring to that explains these devices:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp


Although these light bulbs save energy, which reduces the cost of indoor lighting, CFLs emit significantly less lumens of light, which is what people that suffer from S.A.D. require.  And CFLs are not offered for purchase in high enough lumens to satisfy the medical requirements of S.A.D. sufferers.

Incandescent lamps - the older style of light bulbs commonly in use, offer bulbs with much higher amounts of lumens they emit.  They offer consumers a wider variety and therefore, S.A.D. sufferers are able to help reduce the effects of dim indoor lighting by their purchase of high lumen incandescent light bulbs.

A year ago, after the mandate in the U.S. had passed requiring consumers to use CFL light bulbs, I purchased the highest lumen CFL light bulbs I could find on the market that would work with my indoor light fixtures.  I replaced every light bulb in my house with these high lumen CFLs, with the exception of the light bulbs above my stove and inside my refrigerator, as those light bulbs have special requirements to protect against heat and cold temperatures.

When one flicks on a CFL light, it does not immediately illuminate to it's highest lumen capability.  It takes a minute or two to warm up and emit it's designed lumen output.

I find that CFLs emit a yellowish tone of light, which are not good to read by.
I do not see clearly with CFL lighting.  Rooms seem too dark to me and I struggle with this in others homes, in motel rooms, etc.
The bulbs do not emit clear light.  It seems cloudy and obscured to me.
The bulbs do not seem to bring out the full spectrum of colors of the environment.

I have twelve CFL bulbs illuminating my home.  In addition, I have two light therapy full-spectrum lamps I use to treat S.A.D. at home, and also have a light therapy lamp at work I use, which were recommended by my physician.

I purchased name major brand CFLs for my home to try them out -- to see if the highest lumen CFL light bulbs would suffice for indoor lighting for someone like me who suffers from S.A.D.  I thought it would help the manager in their utility costs also, but this was not required of me as a tenant.
The result is that I do not find CFLs sufficient for indoor lighting of those who suffer from S.A.D.

The Wikipedia article (link above) mentions that CFLs produce less light later in their lives than when they are new.
With my bulbs now a year old, I wonder if they are emitting less light.

CFLs may cause skin and retinal damage, according to the Wikipedia article.

And for older people with aging vision, dim indoor lighting can pose a safety hazard to them where they could trip and fall, and makes it harder in general for them to see clearly.

The article says that Australia, Canada and the United States have announced plans for nationwide efficiency standards that would constitute an effective ban on most current incandescent bulbs, and that Venezuela and Cuba have launched massive incandescent light bulbs replacement programs in order to save energy. 

Further, in an article entitled "The Dark Side of Energy Saving Light Bulbs":

http://tribune.com.pk/story/467607/the-dark-side-of-energy-saving-light-bulbs

states that:

"According to Wynn-Jones, some fluorescent bulbs can cause depletion of key neuro-chemicals in humans, such as serotonin and melatonin. Newer research validates this claim while also showing that exposure to the ‘cool daylight’ type will also serve to increase heart rate and body temperature. This has 2 effects:

• Constant exposure to CFLs, particularly at the expense of sunlight, can precipitate a type of depression known as ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’, commonly referred to as ‘winter blues’

• It can completely halt and even reverse the physiological changes that are responsible for inducing sleep, instead giving your body what a study in the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel identifies as comparable to a dose of caffeine.

Thus, bulbs are legally banned in hospitals in Germany."

This Dark Side article also states:

"
Other research of interest:

• Under fluorescent lighting, one’s evaluation of the immediate space has been demonstrated to ‘evoke a negative response pattern.’ Ask someone to rate a work of art underneath sunlight, and then do the same under artificial lighting, particularly ‘cool daylight.’ The response is dismal and this doesn’t exclude interpersonal evaluations!

• The nutritional quality of foods, such as olive oil, has been shown to deteriorate significantly when stored underneath fluorescent lighting.

• Visual discomfort is greatly increased and there is preliminary evidence to indicate that the inherent flicker in fluorescent lighting can be a causal factor for people who read extensively underneath artificial lighting to develop early cases of ‘presbyopia’ or ‘farsightedness.’"