24 November 1999 - electric lighting

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98.5% Benefit-Free

The efficiency of generating and distributing electricity is around 30%. The efficiency of an incandescent light bulb is near 5%. So of the oil burned at your friendly neighborhood power plant, 1.5% goes toward lighting your house, and the other 98.5% keeps the global climate warm and comfy.

If electric light doesn’t keep you up at night, I don’t know what will.

the Daily Whale || copyright 1999, 2024 Jay J.P. Scott <jay@satirist.org>