Are your lights on?

[Barack_America]

If so, and you live in the Eastern time zone, please consider turning them off.

Earth Hour 2008 is currently in effect.

Earth Hour Facts

A Bold Statement for the Earth

Earth Hour will bring millions of people around the world and across the United States together on Saturday, March 29, 2008 to make a bold statement about climate change. Together they will turn out their lights for one hour—Earth Hour—from 8 to 9 p.m. local time.

While the lights are out, people are encouraged to replace their energy-wasting light bulbs with new, energy-saving compact fluorescents and think about how they can help slow climate change and trim carbon dioxide emissions at home, in their neighborhood and city, and at their workplace.

Earth Hour will show the world that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change.

Leading the Charge

Earth Hour started last year in Sydney, Australia, when more than 2 million people and thousands of businesses turned out their lights. Power consumption dropped more than 10 percent in that single hour; the message that climate change must be slowed shone brightly.

http://www8.earthhourus.org/eh_facts.php

www.google.com

Thanks for your consideration! :hi:


And who knows, maybe "DU by candlelight", might just soften the mood around here a bit as well! ;)

[FrenchieCat]

1. Here in Cali, we have a few more hours.

Thanks for reminding me though!

[calimary]

44. Yeah - I appreciate the reminder, too. I'm on battery at the moment because I'm writing this

at 8:43pm pacific time.

We're sitting outside looking up the hill. My husband noted that he sees a lot of lights off up there. "We're not alone here," he just said.

Kinda neat, and very quiet. If my son were here, he'd be playing his acoustic guitar.

[Barack_America]

45. Wow, calimary! Thanks for the report!

That was really touching!

[calimary]

46. Hugs!

My pleasure!

:pals:

[Cha]

2. Thanks for even telling me about it..

I've been working but did notice Google's backdrop was not lit..I figured it was a statement about saving energy.

[mindfulNJ]

3. just my laptop!

:hi:

[abbyg8r]

8. Same here! n/t

[gateley]

4. No,

and my appliances are unplugged and I'm stealing this connection from my neighbor's WiFi.

I was just thinking I'm probably the only person in Clayton, North Carolina participating. :(

[Barack_America]

7. Wow. That's commitment!

I kind of feel bad that I just found out about this whole thing today.

I anxiously watched the lights of downtown Philadelphia as 8:00 rolled around...no change. x(

[PylesMalfunction]

13. That's ok!

I think I'm the only one in Knoxville participating. :eyes:

[gateley]

15. Before you give me too much credit,

I DIDN'T unplug my refrigerator or dishwasher -- I was afraid to see what was behind them.

It would be VERY cool to live in a city that's participating and see it happen! Maybe there will be videos or pics!

[havocmom]

10. That will be me in an hour and a half

But, I need to relax and read. We have several of those 'headlights' and they are what we read by most evenings anyway.



Nothing says lovin like Havocdad ambling toward bed with book in hand and nothing on but his headlight! :)

[Xipe Totec]

5. And here I thought you were quoting Weinberg's book

by the same title.

[Barack_America]

9. Haven't read it.

Do you recommend it?

Any useful wisdom that could pertain to this year's primary season? ;)

[Xipe Totec]

19. Yes, and yes

In a way... :hi:



An entertaining look into the human activity of problem solving, this book tells you how to figure out what the problem really is, determine whose problem it is anyway, and decide whether you really want to solve it.


http://www.geraldmweinberg.com/books.html

[DerekJ]

6. My whole survey lights are off (Almost)

I am keeping my computer on though.

[havocmom]

14. I have the cat in her harness on a small treadmill

ready to hook the wires up to the bike generator and see if she can keep me online

Mush, kitty...

[Barack_America]

23. Pssst.

Unfortunately, we still have the TV on. The boyfriend would not be denied Hockey Night in Canada. There are some sacrifices, unfortunately, that's he's just not willing to make. It's a Leafs/Habs game, after all.

So we decided to compensate by keeping the lights out for the rest of the night.

Oh well. Life's a compromise.

[SeattleGirl]

11. Mine will be in 2-1/2 hours.

Only 5:30 here in SeattleLand.

[gateley]

21. Are you at a vantage point

where you'll be able to see Downtown? If it wasn't so cold, I'd think Alkai would be the place to be!

[SeattleGirl]

25. Unfortunately not. I'd have to go up the hill about 3/4 of a mile.

I do have to go to the store later, so maybe I'll wait until then so I can get that vantage point and see downtown.

[gateley]

29. I was just thinking of an apartment my friend had

on Queen Anne, where downtown and the Space Needle were IN YOUR FACE. That would be pretty dramatic, too.

If you DO go, drive carefully! :hi:

[madrchsod]

12. not yet ------but it`s hard to type in the dark

[H2O Man]

16. Candles.

[Barack_America]

26. Very nice!

This whole thing has the extra advantage that our apartment now smells great!

We should do this more often! lol.

[H2O Man]

28. I have been

making candles for decades. It's a fun hobby.

[PylesMalfunction]

17. Kind of cool

Check out Google's page. :)

[JayFredMuggs]

18. An Interesting concept.............except

I use low energy wattage bulbs in ALL my light fixtures, and have for over 3 years. I leave one 15 watt light on all the time, and turn on other lights as needed for whatever I am doing, cooking, dining, reading.

I use only 100 watts at most for any hour of the day in my 1400 sq ft two story home. No more 50-60-75- or 100 watt bulbs left in my house.

Now, if we could all turn off our 100+ watt TV sets for 48 hours.....and live like we did in the 40's..........with a small radio, or just our computer pod-casts.......we'd REALLY save power.

One more thought, I live in the Northeast where it's 29 deg. now, so my furnace is still chugging.

[Barack_America]

24. Yeah. It does get you thinking about how much you use power for.

There are also some things that we can't turn off, like the filters to the fish tanks.

That's awesome how well you know your power usage! I should start keeping better track of that! I'm certain we use more than you do for our considerably smaller apartment. :(

[mtnester]

20. Using laptop in the dark here

txs

[phrigndumass]

22. Getting ready to dress warm and take my laptop out on the deck

in about 20 minutes. Everything is getting turned off and unplugged in the house. It's in the 50's outside this evening, so it'll be niiiice.

Gotta go find my oversized cushy St. Bernard fuzzy slippers ...

[Barack_America]

27. CENTRAL TIME ZONE...it's your turn in ONE MINUTE!

Have fun!

And report back if you seen anything interesting in your town/neighborhood!

:hi:

[Barack_America]

30. MOUNTAIN TIME! Represent!

:hi:

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

32. Mountain Time Checking In!

All is dark at the Psst house! Looking around the neighborhood seemss to be around 60% but that could be because people are out, who knows, but, it does look darker.

[Barack_America]

34. Awesome!

Thanks for the report!

Way to go Psst and family! ;)

[cbayer]

31. I support this symbolic act and what it stands for, but how will it carry over?

I say this as someone who lives off the power and water grid and has to, by necessity (and choice) never use any power or water without thinking about it first.
I hope that people will make a commitment to follow through in some way. Perhaps turning off the power every day for an hour? Making a commitment to reduce their consumption by 25% over the next year? Something. Anything.

[Barack_America]

33. I think that's the point.

To get people thinking about how much energy they use.

I also like the idea of encouraging people to change out their high energy bulbs during the "Energy Hour".

I'll certainly do this again. It's actually nice on the eyes having a bit of darkness. We still haven't turned our lights back on, lol.

And we had cereal for dinner so we wouldn't have to use the stove! :D

It's gimmicky for sure, but who knows? Sometimes this stuff works. When I was in second grade my class signed "contracts" that we would wear seatbelts and make sure our parents did too (this was back before the laws). It was gimmicky but I took that shit seriously, and I and my mother have worn seatbelts ever since.

It would've been more fun if my whole city had gone dark though!

[cbayer]

35. I don't dismiss it.

I think it's a good thing and I hope that people will use it as a step in joining a movement to reduce their individual consumption.

I'll tell you this, it's liberating to be less dependent on energy. Not always easy, but liberating.

Hope your cereal was good!! :hi:

[kimmylavin]

36. 10 minutes!

My husband and I are looking forward to it!
Hmmm... what can we do in the dark for an hour? ;-)

Personally, I'm pushing for candlelight Monopoly, but I'm not sure he'll go for it!

[ClayZ]

37. Get your candles ready West Coast!!

K and R

[ClayZ]

38. Get your candles ready West Coast!!

K and R

[Barack_America]

39. :-) Rock on, West Coast!

:bounce:

[ClayZ]

48. Looks like my neighbors are observing too!

The whole block is dark. It is snowing here! I can't believe it is snowing at the end of March!

[ClayZ]

49. Looks like my neighbors are observing too!

The whole block is dark. It is snowing here! I can't believe it is snowing at the end of March!

[SeattleGirl]

41. The lights are off and the candles are burning.

The dog and one of the kitties are zonked out on the couch next to me.

Not bad, not bad at all.

[Barack_America]

42. Lol! I've got the same scene repeated here on the other side of the country!

Darkness...check

Candles...check

Dog zonked out on couch...check

Kitty zonked out on couch...err, over here the role of "kitty" is being played by my boyfriend! ;)


Our dogs have enjoyed the darkness so much, that we still haven't turned the lights on, lol!

[SeattleGirl]

43. "...the role of 'kitty' is being played by my boyfriend."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Is he aware of that?

[Barack_America]

47. He's okay with it. I just looked over at him and said...

"Hey, you're a pussy."

:evilgrin:

Then I explained it to him and we had a laugh.

[krispos42]

40. I always use minimal power

I have a 7-watt CFB by my computer, and an 11-watt CFB above the stove on, and thats usually about it. I use about 240kWh a month, IIRC.

[Patchuli]

50. My neighborhood is almost completelyl dark

Does DU by candlelight count? Was it just lights or 'puters too? We just had blackberries and B&J Vanilla in the dark!

[DerekJ]

51. Toronto during earth hour , and after earth hour.

[DerekJ]

52. Chicago Earth Hour.