Earth Hour - will you participate?

Marg's Man

Marg's Man

Member
"I'm only one person, what difference can I make?"

So goes an advertisement running here at the moment. The short answer is - a lot.

Between 8pm and 9pm, Saturday 29 March local time, the City of Sydney will be switching off its lights in support of Earth Hour.

This symbolic act began in 2007 as a local initiative to raise awareness in a then recalcitrant Federal Government about the need for action on climate change. Since then it has been embraced by communities around the world making Earth Hour 2008 a global event. According to Sydney's local news services, the initiative is gaining huge momentum as an idea whose time has come. In just one hour we saved a huge amount of greenhouse gases that were NOT pumped into the atmosphere.

Remember as they say at the Earth Hour website
"Earth Hour 2007 was a Sydney event. Earth Hour 2008 is a global movement.
Go to this website for more information:
http://www.earthhour.org/

and, PLEASE, join in, whether or not your local community is participating. It's not for us but for our children who will have to live in a world we will have left behind.

Marg's Man
 
Marguerite

Marguerite

Active Member
I heard on the news today, a number of cities around the world are joining in, including New York.

We're supposed to be going to a party tomorrow night, I know they plan to observe Earth Hour at the party - they're switching off the lights, lighting a lamp or candle and probably going around the circle telling ghost stories for an hour!

Feedback from last year - a lot of kids got a very direct message on just how dependent we are on electricity. It's only for an hour. We left the TV on last year, and lit a couple of candles in each room where there were people. We organised to have dinner cooked before 8 pm so we could eat it by candlelight.

I remember the politicians (our late, unlamented Prime Minister) insisting that it was all very well for ordinary people to do this, but it was simply not feasible for big business or government buildings to turn off lights because of security concerns. Of course there is no need to turn off motion sensor lights or security cameras; in the end he caved (public pressure, plus upcoming election campaign which he thoroughly lost - yay!) and the effect was spectacular. Can you imagine the Sydney skyline as the lights go off? The Sydney Harbour Bridge darkened (only the street lights on the deck, plus the top safety light, stayed on); the Opera House; most of the big office blocks - amazing.

They said that in one hour Sydney saved the same amount of greenhouse emissions that are released by the city's cars, in a year. And that was the very first one, a lot of people either didn't know about it or didn't get involved.

Seeing this spread around the world is very exciting, for us.

Marg
 
totoro

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
I remember this from last year... Me and the girls can do this!!! We have lots of candles and board games and books...
Heck we can always watch the darn Moose in the Snow!!!
 
Star*

Star*

call 911........call 911
TOTO -

I'm coming to your house - and I'm bringing BBK and tink - we'll play scrabble.

Margs man - This is awesome - ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.....

And if the idiotic government here does not do something about the polar bears soon we may only see them when they are shot for coming into towns looking for people food. And I don't mean Burger King.

Every time you leave a light on in a room - that doesnt' need one it's harmful. 2008 has been our year to do what we can to leave something behind.

EXCELLENT post!

GOOOOOOOOOOOO GREEN!!!
 
trinityroyal

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
The client I'm currently working for is a very large organization with offices all across the province and over 60,000 staff. The company has decided to participate in Earth Hour and will ensure that lights are turned off at every location.

They have strongly encouraged staff (and even consultants) to participate personally as well, and provided information on what to do at home.

If businesses are willing to make an effort and coordinate their activities, they can do it too.
 
KTMom91

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I saw this in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday. Last year, I tried to get our little town on board, but City Hall couldn't decide who would handle what, so it didn't go anywhere. They roll up the streets here after dark anyway. Hubby and I plan to do our part and participate, however.
 
Wiped Out

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I heard on a local radio station today that our city is participating in this. I will do my best! I want to come play Scrabble with Toto, BBK, and Star!
 
totoro

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
I am not playing SCRABBLE with any of you!!! You already know how horrible I am!!! WHINE....
1/2 to put up the word "BASIL"!!!
 
Marguerite

Marguerite

Active Member
We just finished our Earth Hour - just as an electric storm is about to hit. I'm keeping the candles lit, because after all this, the chance of a blackout is high!

Ironic.

And I don't play Scrabble any more. I'm not allowed to. Not since I put "QUIXOTIC" on a triple word score...

Marg
 
GoingNorth

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
This for some reason reminds me that if someone really wants to earn my undying gratitude they could buy me the CD version of the Oxford English Dictionary (on something like 30 disks).

I LOVE reading dictionaries!
 
Abbey

Abbey

Spork Queen
First of all, I want to move to Australia. :) What a progressive country.

I haven't heard of this mentioned in Vegas. I can't imagine they'd go for it. It is the 'city of lights.' It sickens me to drive down the freeway and see car dealerships in the middle of the night lighted up beyond daylight. We're not talking one...hundreds. Who is buying a car at 1am? They're not even open!

I love the concept, though. Remind me of it next year. I'd gladly participate.

Abbey
 
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