Earth Hour

[abbey]

So anyone that uses Google on a regular basis has probably noticed that they changed the background to black to advertise Earth Hour.

Here's the deal:
On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.

Are you going to do it? Do you think it'll even make a difference?

[Baani]

Hmm, I don't get it, when I used to live in Sydney, all the lights used to be on at night. Literally, all the lights in the buildings, in the shops. Wasting so much of energy. Why don't they just switch off the lights at night rather than just observing one hour out of the whole year? I mean, what's the point?

[Oofie]

What are the events? Won't they need lighting rigs and stuff like that for big events? Could be a bit counter-productive.

[misc]

It obviously won't make any real impact on the energy we use cos its only for one hour, so I'm guessing its to raise awareness of energy saving by making people live in darkness for an hour. Frankly, by the end of the hour I'd be so sick of not being able to see I'd be thinking 'I am never going to turn a lightbulb off again', so it may have the wrong effect. Seems to me like a bit of a pointless stunt, like when Geldof decided Live8 wouldn't raise any money, just awareness (we all knew africa was there; it didn't need our acknowledgement, it needed lots of money).

[Baani]

It's like when stars travel half way around the world in their private jets wasting so much of fuel and so much of energy in their concerts, just to promote conservation of the environment and stop global warming.

Why can't anyone do stuff on the small scale, like stop using plastic bags or conserve water daily?

[abbey]

Frankly, by the end of the hour I'd be so sick of not being able to see I'd be thinking 'I am never going to turn a lightbulb off again', so it may have the wrong effect.
Well, back before they had light bulbs, they had these wonderful magical sticks. They were made of some sort of waxy material, and all you had to do was light them on fire, and they magically produced light! Isn't that amazing?

[Far]

Fuck that noise. I can't eat without the lights on.

[MaxAlcolo]

I saw an advertising video on YouTube about it, last week. There was images of fast-food restaurants and coffee shops turning of their lights even though they were still open.
I find it cool, but nothing more. Like Baani said, there's much more simple things we could do to save energy, just like offices turning off their lights at night instead of leaving open.

I won't be doing it. I'm hosting a party tonight, so I kind of need my lights. That, and I'd probably forget about it.

[BlackHood]

Abbey, everyone knows cigarettes won't light a room!

[misc]

Well, back before they had light bulbs, they had these wonderful magical sticks. They were made of some sort of waxy material, and all you had to do was light them on fire, and they magically produced light! Isn't that amazing?

Not nearly as amazing as an incandescant light bulb. Flick of a switch and you're bathed in light. Genius.

[LeeJam]

Epic Fail

USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/bankamp/)
Reason: Internet Catchphrase.

[MaxAlcolo]

Epic Fail

Yes, that'd be you and your lame lolcat avatar.

[PyroOwned]

I'd try and persuase my parents to do it, but they'd get all pissy, like they normally do everytime I mention something useful. :lol:

[McGruff]

I'll defiantly participate.
Does that include turning off your monitor and other light producing things like televisions too?

[BKS]

I would, but I got some fights to watch, so I probably wont.

[Matterialize]

It's a good effort, but compared to all the other energy-using things in the average house, turning off the lights for an hour won't make much of a difference. Hell, the lights are all usually off overnight anyway.

[BurgerKueen]

I don't think telling people they should turn off their lights to save Earth isn't going to help, even if some people do it, most people won't simply because they don't care or find it inconvenient. It's more sensible to promote light bulbs that save energy by making them cheaper than regular ones & advertising how they last longer. Most people care more about the short run earn such as that dollar or two saved from the light bulb.

It's still nice Google is trying to raise awareness though I suppose.

[Cristo]

NO!

I can't turn of the lights, they come with the darkness.

[PyroOwned]

We're doing it now, English time. Its scary. :wail:

[hardcoresk8r69]

I'll tell myself now I'll do it... but I'll forget.

[MrDoctor]

I'll tell myself now I'll do it... but I'll forget.

Same here if i do remember it will be at like 9:50 or too late to do it.

[Reckless_Check]

I know i want to do it, but knowing that my parents have more control over the lights in the house than i do, it won't happen. It would make a difference if a lot of people did it, but i highly doubt that will happen.

[Manicmonkey]

Same here if i do remember it will be at like 9:50 or too late to do it. What's the difference if you turn your lights off from 10-11P.M. rather than 9-10P.M.? You're still not using that energy for 1 hour.

[Iiro]

I'm gonna keep all my shit on for a week just for laughs.

[Amax_inc.]

This really isn't going to do much. To save the enviornment we'll have to make some radical changes. For instance, at my grocery store now they are switching from plastic bags to reusable ones, you just bring the bags back everytime you go grocery shopping.

[I Lick Vaginas]

I was legitmately going to do it last year, but then I ended up in hospital, so I had some sort of vegeance thing and turned on every electrical item until midnight or so.

[Murt]

I did it last year.........Does that mean i don't have to do it this year?

[WilliamTM]

I turned my small light off.

But I put my big one on.

[jewishjosh]

Google has a homepage www.blackle.com that always looks like that. They say it conserves energy on CRT screens, but in reality it doesn't make a huge difference on LCD screens, which I'm assuming most of us use. These days environmentalism is about being trendy, raising awareness, and acting like you're helping, not about actually making a difference. I agree that it would be way more productive to incorporate, say, recycling into our daily routines, as opposed to one hour of ... wait what are we doing again?

[Con-Con]

I didn't do it. It won't make a difference.

[Ikin]

This won't make a difference at all. Hell, I think I'll just keep all the lights in my house on just piss everyone off.

[McGruff]

They aren't trying to make a big difference, only promoting ways to save energy. They're trying to make you see that you don't need lights or other things on all the time.

[misc]

They aren't trying to make a big difference, only promoting ways to save energy. They're trying to make you see that you don't need lights or other things on all the time.

thats the thing though, I just don't think it's gonna show people how easy it is to live without lights on at 9 o clock, I think an hour of darkness is gonna make people appreciate bulbs and stuff even more.
Everyone is plenty aware of the whole energy saving thing, the problem is people don't care, or can't be arsed, and considering the only people who do this hour of darkness will care already, I don't think it's gonna make a difference. It's admirable and all that but not particularly productive in my opinion.

[hardcoresk8r69]

They aren't trying to make a big difference, only promoting ways to save energy. They're trying to make you see that you don't need lights or other things on all the time.

But I do...

[OoooF4LiFe]

The only thing they've accomplished, is turning a basic and relatively easy idea, and making it into an event. Unfortunately normal people need to feel like they've achieved something in return for doing something thoughtful.

That said, I don't think it matters. My lights being on won't really affect my neighbor's. I pay for my electric bill. As soon as we start sharing electric bills, then i'll consider giving a shit about what other people do.

[Nigel]

It won't make a bit of difference, it's just hippy feel-good crap. Anyone remember the South Park episode where hippies set up a Jam Festival? It'll be about as useful as that. Our energy demands aren't the problem, it's our lifestyle. Our Western way of living is what will catch up to us, not global warming nonsense.

[Matterialize]

These days environmentalism is about being trendy, raising awareness, and acting like you're helping, not about actually making a difference.

Good god, thank you. I've just spent fifteen minutes trying to explain this to my idiot mother and she still doesn't get it. "Matt, it's symbolic!" Who the fuck cares? If we want to save the planet, let's have an event where we do something instead of an event where we say we're going to do something.

I'm also gonna leave everything on out of spite.

[HappyPalooza]

Matt's a rebel. :rock:

But yea, he's right. Instead of making an effort to do something symbolic, it'd be neat if somebody actually tried to band everyone together to make a real difference. Environmentalism annoys me a lot for reasons I can't really describe.

[Triple J]

(If you've seen Thank You Smoking.) Environmentalist = pussy

[Johnny]

I was at Federation Square in Melbourne when it happened. Half the city still had their lights and stuff on. Pointless idea really.

[JW]

How awesome would you feel to be the only person in the whole world not to do it?!

[Murt]

How awesome would you feel to be the only person in the whole world not to do it?!

Well, they'd spot you pretty easily, with the light and all. Mass Revolt maybe?

[abbey]

I just got back in not too long ago - I wasn't home for Earth Hour - and I must admit I forgot to turn off my bedroom light.

I'll make up for it by sleeping for an extra hour tonight. The lights generally aren't on when I'm asleep.

[CheesePlease]

I didn't do it because I forgot and really I just don't care.

[Tyler_Legrand]

I thought it'd be the perfect time to commit crimes

[Pwnt]

You guys are very dissapointing.
You are the reason why the Earth will blow up from loss of air.
When the o-zone breaks from pollution, my last words will be, "Ass-holes".
You've done this to the world, we prove that you do it, and you won't provent it?

-Supporter of Earth Hour-

[Derelict]

I do this every 24 hours. I call it night time.

[Derelict]

You guys are very dissapointing.
You are the reason why the Earth will blow up from loss of air.
When the o-zone breaks from pollution, my last words will be, "Ass-holes".
You've done this to the world, we prove that you do it, and you won't provent it?

-Supporter of Earth Hour-

The o-zone won't "break". It will slowly deplete until humans can no longer survive, and by then we will have mastered space flight and be destroying some other planet. Once it gets to that point when there are no more pollutants, it will remake itself. Hopefully the sun hasn't exploded by then.

[Jino]

I do this every 24 hours. I call it night time.

Yup.

Usually if I need to study at night, I go over to one of the all-nighter restaurants . They're going to be keeping the lights on anyways, so I might as well take advantage of it.

[Pelican Man]

I was camping during Earth Hour, so up ya, I wasn't using lights anyway.

[jewishjosh]

You guys are very dissapointing.
You are the reason why the Earth will blow up from loss of air.
When the o-zone breaks from pollution, my last words will be, "Ass-holes".
You've done this to the world, we prove that you do it, and you won't provent it?

-Supporter of Earth Hour-

I don't see you putting solar panels in the Sahara.

But yeah, it's really a lifestyle problem. Abuse of resources, not shortage of resources.

[misc]

You guys are very dissapointing.
You are the reason why the Earth will blow up from loss of air.
When the o-zone breaks from pollution, my last words will be, "Ass-holes".
You've done this to the world, we prove that you do it, and you won't provent it?

-Supporter of Earth Hour-

I'd love to see the thought process that led you to the belief that the Earth is going to 'blow up from loss of air'. Also, I don't think turning my light off for an hour last night would've prevented it to be honest, but there you go.

[Santa's anagram]

I did Earth Hour, and I know it ain't much to you guys, but to me it says, "I can stop thinking only about myself and put myself at an inconvenience for the sake of the environment, should the decision ever have to be made."

It was actually a relatively big thing in Australia, with a lot of advertising and promotion on the radio and TV. We all just used our outdoor solar lights and candles, ate dinner and watched the footy. No big deal.

Also, I don't think turning my light off for an hour last night would've prevented it to be honest, but there you go.
No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood, either, but there you go.

[Oofie]

Yeah I did the turning off the lights thing but I fell down the stairs in the dark so I wasn'tvery happy about it :mad:

You guys are very dissapointing.
You are the reason why the Earth will blow up from loss of air.
When the o-zone breaks from pollution, my last words will be, "Ass-holes".
You've done this to the world, we prove that you do it, and you won't provent it?

-Supporter of Earth Hour-

What the hell is wrong with you?

[misc]

I'm all for helping the environment, but I don't see the point in gimmiks which only serve to make people feel good about themselves for an hour. Like other people have said, if we wanna really undo the damage we're doing, we need a major lifestyle change. If you were to get rid of all your electric lighting forever, then you would be making a difference. That's the sort of example people need to follow.

Earth hour means millions of people are now gonna be thinking 'Ive done my bit for the environment this year' cos they turned a light off for an hour. I appreciate it all adds up, but I can't see this adding to anything. That's not gonna stop me trying to be less of a Western Energy Waster in my day to day life though.

[tbhb]

I don't think it was even mentioned here in England. My mother laughed at me when I turned some of the lights off, and said it 'wastes more power turning lights on and off than it does to just leave them on'.
I'd love to understand how she managed to reach that conclusion. Sure, if you sat there for a few minutes switching a lightbulb on and off then it wouldn't do much good to it, but it won't waste as much power as a lightbulb being on continuously for those few minutes.
And even if I'm wrong, switching a light bulb off for an hour and then turning it back on can't really be compared to leaving it on for that hour.

[Pelican Man]

I'm all for helping the environment, but I don't see the point in gimmiks which only serve to make people feel good about themselves for an hour.

You just don't want people to feel good about themselves, you evil bastard.

[misc]

I feed off people's misery. When the Earth does finally blow up from lack of air, I'm gonna be the happiest bastard around.

[Pelican Man]

I feed off people's misery. When the Earth does finally blow up from lack of air, I'm gonna be the happiest bastard around.

Whoa man, hey, I'm just trying to enjoy myself here, back the fuck up.

[BartS]

How much energy would this conserve anyway? (If everyone participated)

[Oofie]

How much energy would this conserve anyway? (If everyone participated)

7.

It would probably help if we all got off our computers for a while too. But what are the chances of that?

[Pelican Man]

7.

It would probably help if we all got off our computers for a while too. But what are the chances of that?

What the hell is a computer?

[Ikin]

You guys are very dissapointing.
You are the reason why the Earth will blow up from loss of air.
When the o-zone breaks from pollution, my last words will be, "Ass-holes".
You've done this to the world, we prove that you do it, and you won't provent it?

-Supporter of Earth Hour-

1)You spelled disappointing wrong.
2) Earth wouldn't blow up from lack of air.
3) It's ozone, not o-zone.
4) The ozone layer doesn't break.
5) It's spelled "Asshole", asshole.
6)"We prove that you do it" makes no grammatical sense.
7) "Provent" is not a word.

[Ox]

I have heard nothing of this Earth Hour outwith this forum.

The problem with turning off a lamp for an hour to save the universe is that it's complete bullshit when you look at the amount of polluting the industires of China and the US do alone.

When all the major industries in the world make an effort to cut back on pollution, I'll start thinking about re-using a plastic bag.

[spaj]

I read somewhere that even if every single person on Earth had the willpower to be energy friendly for some time it would have a very, very marginal impact on preventing global warming.

I had a party last night at my house and I downright refused to turn off the lights or the stereo :mad:.

[Ox]

I read somewhere that even if every single person on Earth had the willpower to be energy friendly for some time it would have a very, very marginal impact on preventing global warming.

:facts: and :science:

Tell me more of your research, professor.

[Far]

Apparently, either the province of Ontario or all of Canada(can't remember what it was) cut power consumption by 5% during earth hour. That's quite a bit more then I would have expected.

[spaj]

:facts: and :science:

Tell me more of your research, professor.

Numbers are overrated?

:wail:

[fcon]

Humans release 26.4Gt of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, between oceans and vegetation, the earth naturally releases 550Gt. So we release roughly 5% of what the earth releases. So if we really really cut down, it will still be nothing compared to the earth.

Things like this turn-your-lights-off-for-an-hour crap raises awareness but doesn't do anything really. Better off doing things like planting more trees, using energy efficient light bulbs instead of normal ones and drive less powerful cars. Who needs a 4 litre SUV anywhere when a 1 litre does the same job?

Point is gimmacks like this don't work, build changes into your life cause then they annoy you less and you will actually do it

[abbey]

This article (http://www.thestar.com/SpecialSections/EarthHour/article/407284) says power consumption in Ontario dropped by 8.7%. 3.7% more than their goal.

[jewishjosh]

Good for Ontario. :gj:

Earth hour means millions of people are now gonna be thinking 'Ive done my bit for the environment this year' cos they turned a light off for an hour.

That is a terrifying thought. Set the bar low so you ensure success, right? I mean, look what happens when we commit to something big like Kyoto: we fall flat on our faces. Consoling ourselves with the fact that we're succeeding with baby steps when others have failed with big steps, and being satisfied with it, is the destructive spiral that we need to get out of. In the real world, Earth Hour just doesn't work. I guarantee that people who'd otherwise never have cared will forget about all this "awareness" crap within a week.

[Couch]

Humans release 26.4Gt of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, between oceans and vegetation, the earth naturally releases 550Gt. So we release roughly 5% of what the earth releases. So if we really really cut down, it will still be nothing compared to the earth.

Just wondering, where did you get those numbers? I'm not calling you out or anything, I'm just curious.

[gizzalove]

I was at my dad's and he lives in the city and I didn't really see a change at all. But I turned my lights off.

[Roonis]

heh my town didnt officialy do the earth hour but the radio and TV talked a little abaut it so that we should do it nexy year ... so everything went smoothly until the earth hour ... after the earth hour our electric company did the math and calculated that we used the most electricity exactly in the earth hour :D .... woops :D ...

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[dameon5646]

Well, NO ONE in Seattle shut down, in fact it was probably brighter.

[fcon]

Just wondering, where did you get those numbers? I'm not calling you out or anything, I'm just curious.

www.iei.ie - Engineers Ireland website, this article though you have to be a member and log into though

[Axidos]

Is it just me or is everyone calling the Earth Hour participants misguided on a misguided basis.

I'm all for helping the environment, but I don't see the point in gimmiks which only serve to make people feel good about themselves for an hour.

The point of Earth Hour is to demonstrate - to whomever it concerns - how many people care about power conservation. It is not about saving power for an hour, that's just stupid. Companies, government parties etc will be more environmentally friendly if they know people care about it - and moreso when more people care.

That is the only reason.

[Jiggz]

Ha ha, measures like these - turning lights off etc - have become a daily necessity here. In fact, the government turns our electricity off for us. That's how awesome they are.

[gannz]

I personally didn't participate in Earth Hour.

My reasoning behind it, quite simple, I was at work and my multinational company decided closing down for an hour of trade wouldn't be a good idea.

Anyways, I am firmly against Earth hour.
As far as events and stupidity go, 'Earth hour' seems to combine the two very well. Not only does it give a group of do-gooders they feeling they are saving the world by turning off the lights in their houses for an hour but it also fuels their inaccurately held belief that this small act can actually make a big difference.

Maybe if Earth hour was an even that happened weekly it could have a substantial effect on the energy being consumed but I highly doubt whether people will be willing to sacrifice an hour of their week for something that in the long run is not going to make that much of a difference.

If you want to do something constructive how about instead of turning your lights off for an hour, donating an hours worth of work every week to funding research into alternative energy, at least that way you will be doing something that might actually give you some reason to be smug and feel better then everyone else who doesn't give two hoots about earth hour.

Earth hour is basically in the same vein as that silly petrol thing. Where everyone was not going to fill their tanks of petrol up for an entire day. What actually happened was petrol companies found out about this terrible idea and simple kept fuel prices relatively low on that day and the following day upped the prices on fuel. Talk about being easily influenced and coerced into something that would be counterproductive.

The main reason for my rage would have to be the chumps in my work claiming that Earth Hour is going to save the world, no, its not, if you actually believe that the energy not used is substantial you're more retarded then you can be given credit for, if anything all it is is a passive gesture which governments may or may not recognize, a method for the organisers of Earth Hour to make money and a way for companies that don't shut down for Earth Hour to segregated and bad mouthed.

[misc]

I don't think big companies (the ones that really contribute a lot of emissions etc.) will properly do anything about it until they're encouraged to by big rewards, or heavy fines. I do agree that all governments really need is to know that their voters care a lot about the environment, and it's certainly the case over here in the UK that all three main parties now spend a lot of time pretending to care about the environment, cos they know that people care. To be honest I just think it's more to do with influential newspapers etc. finally deciding the people want change.
I don't think anyone in a big company/government would have seen Earth hour and thought 'shit, we need to do something, the people have spoken'. I do appreciate the intent, but like I said before, I just think there are much better ways of achieving that.

[Ox]

Humans release 26.4Gt of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, between oceans and vegetation, the earth naturally releases 550Gt. So we release roughly 5% of what the earth releases. So if we really really cut down, it will still be nothing compared to the earth.

Things like this turn-your-lights-off-for-an-hour crap raises awareness but doesn't do anything really. Better off doing things like planting more trees, using energy efficient light bulbs instead of normal ones and drive less powerful cars. Who needs a 4 litre SUV anywhere when a 1 litre does the same job?

Point is gimmacks like this don't work, build changes into your life cause then they annoy you less and you will actually do it

The Earth has always released that amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. The amount that humans have been releasing is unnatural, out of the ordinary and has been increasing for years now. Something does need to be done about the amount of greenhouse gasses humans are creating, but it needs to start with industry, not lightbulbs in peoples houses.

[Jiggz]

Something does need to be done about the amount of greenhouse gasses humans are creating, but it needs to start with industry, not lightbulbs in peoples houses.

Why not? Surely we as end-consumers need to take some responsibility for the state of the environment, and its improvement?

Surely we should be the starting point, if for anything but to generate awareness and debate around the topic.

[Ox]

Whatever we do, won't make a blind bit of difference on a global scale if industry continues to increase CO2 emissions. So, until they start making a serious difference, we're just trying to put out a forest fire by pissing on it.