To begin with, this is mainly focusing on petition sites.
Petitions rarely achieve anything on their own, however many the signatures - in particular in jurisdictions like the EU. Politicians, and the media, react more to visible action like street protests, installations, concerts, and the like.
That said, there are other advantages to petitions. They can have more information and links about the issue involved, the instigators may organize other activities with those who sign or simply keep them informed on the issues, and it may allow for general communication between those interested, depending on the set-up.
Also see the Resource Links page for more or overlapping links on the topic, overlapping when the sites are of interest beyond campaigns or petitions.
(will gradually get more added - also within already listed country names)
Light Bulb Group on Facebook facebook.com/groups/bulballiance
International group with writers, lighting designers, researchers, film-makers, politicians and others interested in the incandescent light bulb issue.
For better communication across borders about what is happening.
Bilingual English and German.
Standard Petition Site Search Listings
Directly linked to English versions and to "Light Bulb" search when possible, or use search box on the page linked. Alternatively can set to Google site search for light bulb (site:PetitionSite.org "light bulb" etc).
Some of the results listed in the later section.
You can set your own search, often lots of petition pages, some more relevant than others.
Only the sites with any likely search results are listed.
Ipetitions.com
GoPetition.com
Change.org
SignOn.org
Webpetitions.com
Openpetition.de (German)
USA
Light Bulb Choice
Has petition page, linking, as this is written
>> to a petition (signing) by the Irlen association, who as linked cater for light sensitivity sufferers amongst others.
>> to a migraine sufferers petition, launched by Diana Lee, editor of Somebody Heal Me.
Also behind a SignOn site petition.
The LBC website also has letter writing section, a forum and much else - new sections/links being added shortly.
Send Your Light Bulbs to Washington [alt Wordpress]
Associated with the above site and with some posts in parallell with this blog, invites people who are unhappy with them to send their fluorescent bulbs to Congress representatives, with instructions on how to do it!
Howard Brandston
Well known lighting designer and Congress consultant on lighting policies.
Has set up an informatory page section which includes petition mailing, with suggested letter templates:.doc format, .odt format.
Free Our Light
Homepage includes petition mailing. Launched with a bang a year or two ago but, as tends to happen, has gone very quiet.
A point in favor is backing resources, it's run by Freedom Action which in turn seems to have conservative think tank / action committee backing, or the like.
Has ancillary services like blog and Facebook page.
Eagle Forum
Conservative organisation with a petition as part of a Congressional Rep mailform.
The same page includes background info and Senate Hearing video (Sen. Rand Paul's contribution)
Right to Choose
One of the petitions as mentioned on the Ipetitions.com site. Based on citizens' right to choose since banning incandescents saves comparatively little energy.
Pat Clark
From the Change.org petition sites, a petition (assumed American) based on oppsition to fluorescent lighting.
CANADA
Has delayed a ban by at least 2 years so the campaigns are understandably inactive.
Care2
Canadian environmental action group.
Has petition against the ban based mainly on CFL problems.
UK
Has had several on-off petition attempts, petition sites typically have time limits to reach
certain numbers, and after EU decision some were closed anyway.
Government's Own Petition Site
There is an official "online government" petition site epetitions.direct.gov.uk
(the old petitions.pm.gov.uk seems to have closed).
5 relevant petitions listed at time of writing (interestingly, one can also see the 7 closed and 3 rejected petitions from the top heading).
The current main one by Anne McDonnell closing 2nd November 2012, petition text is based on opposition to fluorescent bulbs.
Spectrum
Organisation campaigning for those with light sensitivity problems.
The site includes a questionnaire, in working with Sheila Gilmore MP to define the problems more exactly for parliament and government.
AUSTRIA and GERMANY
See gluehbirne.ist.org/petitionen.php (Google translation)
Has a well updated list with explanatory text: Petitions listed are summarized below, German origin unless otherwise specified.
Initiative zur Wieder-Legalisierung der Glühbirne
(initiative to re-legalize incandescent lamps)
Own pro-gluehbirne.at site, Austria.
Based on incandescent advantages compared to fluorescent and LED replacements.
Has background information and links.
Aufhebung des Glühbirnenverbots
(lift the ban on incandescents)
On openpetition.de petition site.
Also has a debate page and background information.
Based on freedom of choice given little society savings from a ban, from the Partei der Vernunft, the Sensible Party.
Pro Glühbirnen
On gopetition.com petition site.
Has a supporting webpage with more information and comment facility.
Based on both replacement light problems and the small overall saving from a ban.
Rücknahme der Glühlampenverordnung (on avaaz.org)
Against fluorescent lamps and lamp manufacturers profiting from a ban at the expense of consumers.
Das GluhlampenVerbot zurucknehmen - Withdraw the Prohibition
Bilingual petition, on avaaz.org petition site.
Citing the lack of overall energy savings (heat replacement etc), incandescent advantages, replacement light problems and unnecessary manufacturer profiting.
Artists against the Incandescent Lamp Ban
Painter Georg Baselitz, designer Ingo Maurer and around 100 other renowned artists, designers and architects campaign... as translated on Save the Bulb site from Neue Westfälische paper, article source unknown.
Munich light designer Ingo Maurer has been particularly involved (video) with various campaigns, installations, and actions, for example his "condom" protest as also covered on this blog.
SWEDEN
Check Swedish links on Greenwashing Lamps site for other possibilities.
Naminsamling.se petition site has 3 petitions listed as this is written.
Glödlampans Vänner
(friends of the incandescent lamp)
Old site but still active, has background information with links to more and commenting.
Opposition is based on small overall savings, incandescent advantages, disadvantages with other choices, as also on the petition page.
Mot glödlampans förbud
(against the ban of the incandescent lamp)
Petition list and comment possibility.
Stoppa idiotförbudet mot Glödlampor!
(stop the idiotic ban of incandescent lamps)
Similar to above, with petition list and comment possibility.
Reasons given are the incandescent advantages, the inadequate replacements, and the small overall savings.
BELGIUM and NETHERLANDS
Spaar de Gloeilamp
"Save the incandescent bulb" site, extensive with intermittent blog posts, background information, links, and a petition page.
Set up by "Human Lights Watch", as seen a coalition of Dutch lighting designers (and related).
They have a special page in English explaining their action and aims.
ITALY
Salviamo la Lampadina - Let's Save the Bulb
Appeal for the listed reasons by Mario Nanni, electrician, lighting designer and Bologna university teacher, also active in London and Barcelona. Petition sign (Italian - English).
This will gradually be updated by myself and others who help with this.
Also, see other lists, for example on Gluehbirne.ist.org and Greenwashing Lamps, currently with German and Swedish ones but which may expand. Most of their particular links should appear here also, but others may of course appear.
Note that for most petitions, anyone can sign, see however the "About" section below for more as regards to how the EU authorities interpret petitions.
Otherwise an online search under "light bulb" and "petition" together with country name or language may yield an appropriate petition to sign, and anti-ban campaign to be involved in.
About Petitions
With the EU ban finalizing, a federal USA ban starting, and bans or "phase-outs"
in several other countries, one way to protest is obviously to sign petitions.
Petitions as a political instrument are a bit of a double edged sword.
Where they get few signatures, it may suggest a lack of public resistance, or even suggest a general public support for regulations.
This may be self-fulfilling:
The EU authorities have already made it clear in their much vaunted "Citizens Initiative"
The European Citizens Initiative will allow 1 million citizens from at least one quarter of the EU Member States to invite the European Commission to bring forward proposals for legal acts in areas where the Commission has the power to do so.
The organisers of a citizens' initiative, a citizens' committee composed of at least 7 EU citizens who are resident in at least 7 different Member States, will have 1 year to collect the necessary statements of support. The number of statements of support has to be certified by the competent authorities in the Member States. The Commission will then have 3 months to examine the initiative and decide how to act on it.
As seen the rigorous conditions and all the data required (name, address, place and date of birth, passport number or identity card number etc for the signatures) it makes it next to impossible to carry out.
That said, local country petitions can of course also send a message to local leaders, who might in turn influence the European Commission.
That not being so realistic, it at least allows people some outlet to voice their objections, and, as mentioned, for the petition organizers to organize other activities with those who signed, and/or allow for general inter-communication.
The last point of course applies to petitions in federal USA, local American states, and other jurisdictions also.
They also have a more realistic chance of success:
The more locally made the legislation, the more easy the communication with legislators, and the fewer the signatures required, in a relative comparison.
