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Friday, March 28, 2008

Lights off....thinking caps on


I, like many others will be participating in earth hour tonight. This was started in Australia last year and picked up by many, to the point where this year it has gone global. The idea is that for one hour (8-9pm friday 28/3/08) as many people, businesses, govt depts turn off all lights and non essential technology.

There has been some criticism of it claiming to have reduced emissions by so much depending on how many people sign up. My understanding of this is that it takes a few hours to switch a powerstation down and then similar time to start up again and if they do not know exactly how much less will be used they can't really cut back the power production.

I personally see this event as a part of a growing recognition by people and communities that things need to change. It's exciting that people are getting involved. However, if all people do is turn their lights off for one hour a year nothing will change. Instead use this time as a household to brainstorm ways of reducing your emissions, your waste, and your energy usage. Look at ways you can get involved in your community, in lobbying govt for change. Be creative. If this doesn't build momentum for change then why bother.

I personally will be enjoying earth hour over some candles and a bottle of wine with my friend Sue in her strawbale house talking about the national permaculture convergance she has just been to. Better finish work quickly so I can get there sooner. Talk later. Hannah

3 comments:

Minni Mum said...

Hi Hannah, interestingly a guy from our local power station rang in to our local radion station this morning - he said that although they won't turn the power station "off", if demand is very low, the generators idle, much the same as a car engine does when it is sitting at traffic lights. So while it is using some energy, it won't be putting out the same as it would be during times of peak energy use. So, it all helps :-)

Cheers, Julie

BittersweetPunkin said...

We turned off as much as possible..and since it was night that was pretty much everything!
Blessings,
Robin

han_ysic said...

That's great to hear Julie. I like the idea of the car idling, much better that pushing the throttle in neutral.

Some of Australia had a forced earth hour this week with the storms, bet the people who had 'practiced' with earth hour fared better than those who hadn't :)