Earth Hour: Save a watt, and maybe the Earth
Earth Hour is a sort of open-source movement against global warming. On Saturday, March 28, at 8:30 p.m. in each time zone, millions of people in thousands of cities are expected to turn off the lights for one hour to raise people's consciousness about the link between global warming and energy use.
Started in Australia two years ago, the event is mushrooming thanks in part to the Internet and social media.
One day before the start of the event in Asia, "Earth Hour" is the top search item on Twitter. A 30-second clip about Earth Hour on You Tube has gotten almost 59,000 views. Facebook groups count hundreds of thousands of members.
The goal for this year is to get 1 billion people to turn their lights off for an hour. In 2007, 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for an hour and in 2008, it went to 50 million.
But it's not just individuals: dozens of cities and 829 world landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramids of Giza, will be dark for one hour as well.
The whole point of Earth Hour is to cast a vote and make a visible statement by turning off the lights for an hour. But it's worth pointing out that that a few watts will be saved along the way and that people waste a lot of energy in their daily lives.
This week, a published study calculated that $2.8 billion is wasted from office PCs that aren't shut off properly. Perhaps people who participate in Earth Hour could unplug their home electronics as well.
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer for CNET's Green Tech blog. He started at CNET News in 2002, covering IT and Web development. Before that, he was executive editor at IT publication InfoWorld. E-mail Martin. 
The global warming hysteria continues.
I have always wondered what caused the Ice Age to end when humans were not present to cause it. Could it have been the normal heat-cool cycles of the Earth? Hmmm
Yeah, the first person quoted is a Fox News correspondent. Go figure! That says it all right there.
It's "hypocrites" and what would letting all those devices run accomplish? It would, at the very least, waste one's fuel and money. That's kind of like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's the dumbest thing I've ever read on here, and I've read some very stupid posts on cnet. Fine, hate the hypocrites, but do something constructive. Try educating the hypocrites.
It's delusional to be responsible? Obviously, you haven't developed a sense of responsibility yet. Go talk to your mommy and see if you can learn what it means to be responsible.
Global warming is caused by the SUN.
Lets see, an hour long symbolic gesture of belief.... sounds a lot like going to church, doesnt it?
If you want to turn your lights out to proclaim your faith, go nuts. But dont try to force your religion on me. I think I'll leave both my SUV's idling for that hour.
Someone has to make up the carbon emissions the hippies save during the hour.
hehehe
And yes, it is a religion. human cause global warming... It requires about the same amount of faith to believe humans caused it as it does to believe in miricles and existance of whatever deity you believe in (not going to single out any religions here). Seriously, if you examine the paralels between religion and human caused global warming, the similarities are scary.
Using LuvThatCO2?s statement that this is like going to church, well, after going to church most will probably bask in the sinful act of using electricity they?ve paid their money to get.
Other than the really aggresive campaign everywhere (TV spots, etc, how much money did they spend?), is I can?t see any strong reasoning why with this one hour, everyone will change ? Even a highly publicized plane crash will last only for as long before it?s yesterday?s news. Is ?good will? alone a strong enough incentive to change ? At least ?imminent threat right now? (e.g: a tornado coming right now) is, at least until the storm passed.
Aren?t that how humans are ?
In fact I will do everything possible to use as much energy as possible to make up for all those who turn their lights off thus falling for this hippie nonesense.
Seriously, why can't they market the whole deal of being energy efficent as a way to save money, not some myth about human caused global warming and our attempts to save the planet. Planet has been here for much longer than we have, and it will still be here after we are all dead. Are people really that gullable?
The good news is that we seem to be turning the corner on exploding the myth human-caused glogal warming is accepted as fact by all reputable scientists. It isn't and never has been. None of my fellow physicist friends believe it nor do any of my many meteorologist friends. Human-caused global warming is accepted as fact mainly by people who lack the scientific credentials for their opinion to have any value. In fact, their belief does not even rise to the level of opinion, because to have an opinion presupposes some degree of knowledge of the topic. Al Gore and his Hollywood liberals and news anchors and leftist politicians minions cannot prove the existence of human-caused global warming any more than they could make pi = 3 by passing a law. Of course, that will not stop them from trying.
Follow the facts (or the money), not the politicians.
Why does a party affiliation have anything to do with your scientific viewes on the environment?
Yes, a stupid comment seemed appropriate in order to fit into this ignorant thread of remarks. And look, more of you emerged.
Fine, I'll vote by turning on every light, appliance and power tool in my home, running the hot water from every available tap, having my auto, SUV, ATV, chaninsaw, weed whacker and tractor idling to CAST MY VOTE.
If I have time, to make my satatement VISIBLE, I'll try to ignite one acre of my large, heavily wooded property (hopefully viewable from space) so that my thoughts on Global Warming can be accurately recorded.
Are you kidding or are you really this stupid?
I have to go trade my Honda Civic in for a HumVee now. Bye.
There was a "consensus of opinion" in 1492 that the world was flat.
Prior to that there was a "consensus of opinion" that the world was the center of the universe.
There was also "consensus of opinion" that if a man traveled faster than 60 miles an hour he would die.
There was also a "consensus of opinion" that microbes (germs) did not cause illness.
And there was a "consensus of opinion" that if an atomic weapon was exploded, it would destroy the planet.
Then there is the "consensus of opinion" that climate change is being triggered by humans. Wonder how humans warmed up the planet sufficiently to end the ice age?
"Consensus of opinion" is not science. It is politics (money). Anyone who believes otherwise also believes our new president is a right-wing conservative.
But we, the people need to feel special about ourselves by thinking that we are so important and powerfull, we can impact the weather on the entire planet. This is the hight of arrogance, just as imagining that we are created in the image of God.
Prior to that there was a "consensus of opinion" that the world was the center of the universe."
Ancient civilizations knew that neither was true. It was only when the religious nutbags took over that people believed that nonsense.
Religion is the opposite of intelligence.
And I hate NASCAR, pork rinds and grits.
Except that intelligence is not an inherited trait. That is to say, it isn't completely dependent on genetics. One's environment is a major factor in developing intelligence as well.
Oh never mind, I just noticed this same person replied to virtually every comment posted here with a brilliant "I hope you are kidding". Must be what his/her mom said when she first conceived with his/her father.
That last comment is uncalled for.
Hopefully this event will open more eyes, so that people begin to be less wasteful.
But labeling it as "earth hour" and going around shutting lights off to save the planet is ridiculous.
When I was growing up in soviet union the consept of an "Earth Day" was everyone went out and planted trees. Not to save the planet, but to make your city look better. Here, everyone is so absolrbed with consept of self gratification over this global warming deal is scary. Reminds me of that one episode of South Park about hybrid cars.
It's to raise awareness. Please reread the article.
Just as "flower power" in the 60s and 70s pointed out how drug-blurred thinking was vacuous at best, so does this kind of wide-eyed illogic. Keep in mind, anything stemming from either coast will be from the most dysfunctional people on the planet. They don't have any grasp on reality!
What a waste of effort. I think I'll go buy some more electrical appliances, pick up a gross of incandescent bulbs, and crank up every electric-consuming thing I own for that hour.
If we truly live in a society where darkness is enlightened, when can I step off, please?
Global warming IS a reality.
The oceans are MADE of plants. Algae. EATS CO2.
Make more CO2, makes more plants. Balance occurs.
The global warming we are trying to battle (like fleas battling a gorilla) is caused by the SUN.
See if you can get a clear answer from people who know how the temps on OTHER PLANETS has increased.
I beg of you... do NOT continue to waste our precious global financial power-balance by defeating the USA from within. CHINA LAUGHS AT THE USA AND ITS GREEN AGENDA. They will OWN YOU if you don't start focusing on REAL PROBLEMS. Like the administration, the gangster banksters, and the backhanded policy to continue to dump OUR money into a country made of rocks and O*ama nuts.
- by sythara March 27, 2009 2:56 PM PDT
- Maybe arguing about existance and cause of global wamring is liek arguing on whats better, apple or pc.
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- by danbry82 March 27, 2009 3:08 PM PDT
- Please DO NOT give up. Please, let's ALL work together to disrobe this beast we call our bankster government. O'man is a pawn. The real problem is the Federal Reserve and central bank and lobbyists and all the senators and reps who get "lubed" by lobbyists. They are in control of MARKETING this sensational "threat" to future existence.... they want to drive progress and business at any cost to us, and for profit for them. Just the way it always is....
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- by kcotham March 27, 2009 5:47 PM PDT
- Good, go back under the bridge.
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Showing 1 of 3 pages (131 Comments)I give up, lol
You wanna save the planet? Good luck. You wanna save this country? DO SOMETHING THAT WILL MATTER. Use a Mac or a PC. Your choice. But do SOMETHING that will matter. TEACH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY to learn about what REALLY is going on in politics and in the banks. They are selling America and it is running out of money. They will tell you it's ok to print more, but that just makes every dollar more worthless. We cannot keep this up.
And we CERTAINLY can't afford to fight among ourselves about Global Warming. Yes, it's getting warmer. But it's NOT our fault. The Power Brokers simply WANT YOU TO BELIEVE IT IS. So you buy their next pack of lies and global economy creations.........Just think of how much money is going to be in carbon and green. Sickening. When people are starving and stupid. Feed and teach the masses, don't continue to bleed the USA....