Comments on: Earth Hour: March 29 from 8-9pm

By: aquariumdrinker

aquariumdrinker — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:48:46 +0000

jeherv,

Frustration understood. It’s like you’re working hard to build an ark that you know that you’ll need, and someone else (who also knows it’s needed) is off chatting it up with numbskulls trying to convince them an ark is needed instead of helping you build. Here’s hoping that time spent converting the numbskulls (or raising their "awareness") isn’t wasted.

By: jeherv

jeherv — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:00:41 +0000

hmmmm, whatever.

it’s fine with me, i just wish people would *do* something rather that just ‘raise awareness.’ and i wasn’t finding fault with you for sharing this, but rather bemoaning what seems to be a general attitude of *raising awareness* and the failing to make any substantive changes.

and no, i don’t think it’s a pot calling the kettle anything. what i do, i do every day, day in, day out. i do it for my own reasons and i write about it primarily because i write about what i do.

anyway, sorry if you thought i was taking a shot at you. i was just bemoaning out loud….

By: shane

shane — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:27:42 +0000

I’m glad to see that our mayor acknowledges that this event is to raise awareness and get people thinking. When I first read about San Francisco doing it, they were actually promoting it and saying that one hour would significantly reduce the pollution. As an Electrical Engineer I had to shake my head in shame. It may save you money to turn off your lights, but the power company can’t really roll back until they know for sure that the demand has gone down- they still have to provide the same amount, even if you don’t use it, because if they roll back and people demand more than they’re providing, the system can’t take it and everyone will be without power for a while whether they care about the environment or not.

Anyway, glad to see they’re not trying to convince people that this hour will actually accomplish something other than "awareness". But it would take a long-term change in people’s habits before the power companies can do anything.

By: scottfarcas

scottfarcas — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:19:11 +0000

Can I skip since I had about 96 consecutive hours without power from the c-twon tornado?

By: etketk

etketk — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:05:35 +0000

I’m in, my darling husband already put it on our calendars – to turn of the lights and the computers and everything.

I don’t really see what’s wrong with a little more awareness either. I think we do need it. Clearly, to each his/her own – but if you really do care about the earth – why would awareness campaigns aka "stunts" be annoying?

By: Seth

Seth — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:44:41 +0000

I just saw a billboard about this yesterday and thought about posting here. Good on ya, Maigh. I’ll be participating.

By: aquariumdrinker

aquariumdrinker — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:30:06 +0000

Sure, I’m in. The moon will be half-full (or half-empty, depending on how you feel about that damn stupid glass). Any thoughts on where would be a good spot to catch the darkened skyline against whatever light is available?

By: maigh

maigh — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:13:09 +0000

Interesting perspective.

I gotta say, though, I do find it a *smidge* ironic that someone who spends so much time patting themselves on the back for their environmental (or cost cutting) initiatives in public forum would find fault with another persons attempt to spread awareness.

No?

Pot, kettle, black?

By: jeherv

jeherv — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:02:58 +0000

ugh….i personally am so tired of "awareness" stunts. i really don’t think we need any awareness.

as a cost-conscious person, i will be observing "earth hour" in the sense that i rarely have my lights on anyway.

i take marta to work, wear sweaters around the house when it’s cold to keep my thermostat below 70, etc., etc.