Earth Hour

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 28 Mar 2008 19:14

Anyone ever heard of this? It's apparently some promotion to cease use of home electricity for one hour on March 29th. It's part of a plan originated in Australia to help the environment by lowering energy consumption and carbon emissions.

I have to say, this is probably the most optimistic global warming pitch I've ever heard. I'm running this Earth Hour through my head and really doubting the point/effectiveness of it.

I suppose psychologically it can be important to make people feel engaged or that they are helping. But wouldn't there be more tangible gain if people simply engaged in less polluting activities on a regular basis? I try to do my part to reduce waste with good habits like recycling, mass transit, water conservation, etc. Wouldn't that be far more effective than just turning off your light for one hour once a year?

And really, these habits are not for combating global warming, they are for pollution in general. I'm concerned that global warming by being so dubious in cause and yet so pervasive in the media is blinding people to the real issue, which is that we should be reducing our pollution. Scientists, pundits and politicians can debate global warming until they run out of breath, but no one is going to convince me dumping industrial runoff in my cities' river isn't harmful. That's really the point.

Anyway, perhaps there's more to this? Has anyone else heard of this Earth Hour and have another view?

Post by **Omphalos** » 28 Mar 2008 19:41

I heard about it when Oz did it. Sounds like a nice idea, as long as everyone doesnt turn their stuff on all at the same time when the hour is over, though.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 28 Mar 2008 20:55

I don't think it really works that way. Power plants will be producing the same amount of electricity, it would just be wasted.

They way to do it is to reduce your consumption slowly so demand on the power grid steadily goes down so the power stations will lower their output.

Sorry, but I think it's dumb. A noble cause though.

orald · Post by **orald** » 28 Mar 2008 21:00

Lol, just one hour? Those environmentalists are so lazy and spoiled, and they think they can help?

Besides, I'm gonna give them 9 hours of total electric shut-down, but not on March 29th, on April 1st. Because there's gonna be repair work done in my neighborhood, that's why*.

*Unless some ass forged good copies of the electricity company's notes and put them all around the place as an April Fool joke, which would be doubtful considering the magnitude.

Post by **Omphalos** » 28 Mar 2008 21:30

Freakzilla wrote:I don't think it really works that way. Power plants will be producing the same amount of electricity, it would just be wasted.

They way to do it is to reduce your consumption slowly so demand on the power grid steadily goes down so the power stations will lower their output.

Sorry, but I think it's dumb. A noble cause though.

Most power plants have multiple generators, so that when demand goes down, generators switch off in sequence. IOW, the only generators that will be running will be what is required to fulfill demand. But if everyone turns their shit on at once, demand spikes and overloads could result if generators do not switch back on fast enough.

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 29 Mar 2008 00:44

Another nice stupid gesture. I await the results with bated breath.

"OK...hour's up. Turn everything back on."

Bzzzzt! Black out!

Here's an example of something really stupid for you, though:

Went down to the department admin office yesterday to ask them something about the windows in the new office.

"Hey, Mr Mutoh, can I order a screen to put over one of my windows, so I can open it up when it gets warmer?"

"No, the new windows aren't made for screens." (Surprise, surprise, we didn't have them on the old ones, either.) "We tried getting them for the offices on the first floor, too, but the uni admin office said no."

"Huh? Why?"

"No idea. I pointed out that we'd be able to save energy by just opening the windows and letting the wind in rather than running the air conditioners...but they said no."

"They really are a bunch of idiots over there, aren't they?" (And they are. Believe me: I work for idiots.)

He laughed nervously.

"Well...what if I put together something and use it on the inside then?"

"Hmm...as long as it doesn't look bad. You know?" (The unspoken nuance being that I would be asked to remove it if it did. I noticed there are locks on the windows—still open at present—but I was given no keys. I can see push coming to shove at some point down the line.)

You see, every office on the (re)new(ed) now has the same windows and the same blinds in them and everything looks uniform and lovely. (As opposed to the random chaos and multicolored blinds and curtains of just a few months back.) It's all about appearance, after all. They make a big fuss about saving energy and post notices on the proper temp settings for the heating/cooling in all the classrooms, but when it comes to a little extra investment to really save energy longterm, they prove that it's all just lip service.

I'm half tempted to open my windows and let in the flies and big-ass bumbler sparrow-wasps and get stung by one and sue the bastards.

(And if I wasn't such a lazy hoor I'd look for a better place of employ.)

Rakis · Post by **Rakis** » 29 Mar 2008 01:23

Freakzilla wrote:
Sorry, but I think it's dumb. A noble cause though.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly...can you imagine the worldwide amount of non-disposable batteries that will pick up the slack for that hour?

Pardot Kynes · Post by **Pardot Kynes** » 30 Mar 2008 23:33

I didn't notice a difference. It might have been smarter not to do it at night, the idiots.

Rakis · Post by **Rakis** » 30 Mar 2008 23:39

Pardot Kynes wrote:I didn't notice a difference. It might have been smarter not to do it at night, the idiots.

I wonder if any big industries were involved to do it...on a saturday night...

Shadout · Post by **Shadout** » 31 Mar 2008 07:48

I wonder if any big industries were involved to do it...on a saturday night...

Nah, that cant be true. Why would th...

Kinda silly with these gestures that matters shit, except making people feel good about themselves. "Oh, I saved the environment last saturday, now I can consume a bit more again, yeah".