Earth Hour 2009

[Fizzy Izzy]

It's today - don't forget! (well, it's already passed for our Australian/NZ friends)

[Millymollymandy]

If, like me, you only have one light on in the evening and that's a long life bulb, we're not going to be saving ourselves or anyone else anything much at all.

[JulieSherris]

Hmm... I've just been from room to room checking on the leccy appliances....

Store room = nothing on...
Spare room = nothing on...
Lounge = phone plugged in - everything else is unplugged (because we're not using that room just yet, too cold!)
Bedroom = alarm clock
Kitchen = fridge & freezer....
Back room = TV, Sky box, PC, 1 long-life lightbulb....

No, I haven't made any effort to turn off & unplug - this is how our house is each night - and actually, I'm quite impressed with ourselves!

So.... in about 25 mins I shall turn off the light for an hour - just so's I'm not left out!!

[MuddyWitch]

We had a power cut from 7.52pm to about 10ish! Are we being forced to join in!???

We would have had we had owt to turn off.

MW

[bryony]

I just read this article about Earth Hour:
emissionshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/c ... -emissions

He might make some relevant points, such as the possibility that it might not reduce emissions, but he's just so pessimistic, and the talk of darkness as being symbolic of 'danger decay and death'. Just the fact that people care, and are spreading awareness should be enough. oh well... at least we're trying hey?

[Annpan]

I think he has it all wrong - Darkness may well be symbolic of death and decay, but what are your images of Earth Hour? I saw photos from around the world of people gathering by candle light, our house was lit by candles and torches. The small glimmering twinkle of candles is symbolic of celebration, hope and peace - So stick that in your pipe and smoke it

Secondly, The action of switching off ones lights was symbolic that we are willing to change our habits to help stop climate change*, if it means we have to have energy rationing or our huge national symbols (ie Big Ben, Edinburgh Castle) are lit by 10 spotlights instead of 200... then good, lets do it.... lets do something at least.

It does us no favours for environmentalists to further stand out from the crowd and decree that the rest of humanity don't care, bringing it down to some kind of common ground that is easily identifiable we might actually achieve something...


[/soap box]




*I am of the belief that climate change can not now be stopped, perhaps we can slow it down, but the last 30-40 years of over consumption of the world's natural resources and poisoning the world's air and water has caused damage that we can't now fix.... doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best in the hope that I am wrong, or some new discovery will be made that we can begin to reverse it though.

[red]

we dont mark earth hour ourselves, but I can see what people gain from it.. particularly if thy have kids - its an exercise in understanding how completely dependent on electricity we have become

as it goes when we lived on the farm we often had power cuts and being so few residents out in the sticks, we were always the last to get power restored.. we always had candles and matches about, and learned to play board games, or get the musical instruments out etc.

Having said that, you do have to mention that candles are mostly made out of a non renewable resource.. anything you charged up on batteries in advance was still using electricity and if you used any outside media.. such as the internet or listened to the radio.. then power was still used at the station or servers etc. ...