Earth Hour 2008
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Submitted by alba on Fri, 14/03/2008 - 7:03pm.
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 Joined: 06-07-2006 |
So I see that the COF has committed it's support for Earth Hour 2008. This is a global event that was started in Sydney last year and involves the simple task of switching off your lights for an hour on March 29th from 8pm. Does anyone know specifically what the COF are agreeing to do? City Hall is closed then and should therefore have all it's lights off anyway, and the Spring schedules for the Arena and Aquatic Centre haven't been published yet so it's hard to tell what will happen there. In Sydney they didn't turn off the street lights for safety reasons - what will happen here? Will the courthouse turn it's huge uplighters off that usually send a beam into the night sky? Have any pubs or restaurants signed up for this? What about the big stores that usually close at 9pm? And the highway properties? I've signed up, will you? |
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Joined: 30-01-2007
This is a great idea, but I think that a lot of businesses or government buildings will not be able to turn off all of their lights.
A lot of security camera systems require at least a little bit of light to function. Maybe they would be better of upgrading their lights to LED? This types of light are supposed to save a lot more power, and last way longer.
I will try to turn of my lights on the 29th.
Cheers
Joined: 30-01-2007
Thought you might find this interesting. A light that's supposed to be even better than LEDs.
http://news.zdnet.com/2422-13568_22-192842.html
Joined: 23-12-2006
well alba, you were right. The city did nothing beyond the lipservice of committing its support to earth hour.
I biked around and saw every light on every city building bright as ever for the whole hour.
Disgraceful.
Joined: 06-07-2006
From the WWF's report on Earth Hour, April 2nd-
"Thank you for leading the world in Earth Hour!
Earth Hour was a huge success, with early reports indicating that at least 50 million people participated in this global call to action on climate change! This makes it the largest voluntary power-down event in history. And it was Canada that led the way, with over 150 cities and towns turning off their lights. Thank you Canada!
In Toronto, Canada's flagship Earth Hour city, energy consumption dropped by 8.7 per cent and almost 10,000 people gathered at City Hall to watch Nelly Furtado, The Philosopher Kings and Fefe Dobson play a free concert in the dark. In all of Ontario, 900 MW of energy was saved, the equivalent of taking over 11,000 cars off the road for one hour.
There were celebrations all across the country and results are still pouring in. In British Columbia, energy consumption was reduced by 125 MW. The energy saved in Ontario and British Columbia alone is equivalent to turning off 20.5 million lights.
Thanks to everyone here in Canada and around the world that participated in the first ever, worldwide Earth Hour! Your efforts and determination have made this an event to remember and you have sent a very strong message to our government, and governments around the world, that we need to take action on climate change now."
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I think everyone would agree that Earth Hour, while valuable, was a gesture. To really make a difference it is necessary to live Earth Hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For more information, go here http://thegoodlife.wwf.ca/Home.cfm
Everybody deserves a second chance. Although the City didn't stick to their public commitment to participate in Earth Hour, they could easily chose another hour at any time and have their own Earth Hour, and there's always next year. I look forward to seeing the lights go off then...