'Earth Hour' to plunge millions into darkness

[austin552]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080328/wl_asia_afp/climatewarmingaustraliaearthhour

SYDNEY (AFP) - Twenty-six major cities around the world are expected to turn off the lights on major landmarks, plunging millions of people into darkness to raise awareness about global warming, organisers said.

'Earth Hour' founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 0900 GMT on March 29.

"There are definitely 26 (cities) that we think, if it all goes to plan, we are going to see a major event of lights going off," he told AFP.

Cities officially signed on include Chicago and San Francisco, Dublin, Manila, Bangkok, Copenhagen and Toronto, all of which will switch off lights on major landmarks and encourage businesses and homeowners to follow suit.

Ridley said it was also likely that other major European cities such as Rome and London, and the South Korean capital Seoul, although not officially taking part, would turn off lights on some attractions or landmarks.

The initiative began in Sydney last year and has become a global event, sweeping across 35 countries this year.

From 8:00 pm local time in Sydney, the energy-saving campaign will see harbourside icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House bathed only in moonlight, restaurant diners eat by candlelight and city skyscrapers turn off their neon signs.

Organisers hope the initiative will encourage people to be more aware of their energy usage, knowing that producing electricity pollutes the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels which are contributing to global warming.

But they are also aware that it will be just a small step in solving the problem of rising temperatures around the globe.

"Switching the lights off for an hour is not going to make a dent in global emissions," organiser Charles Stevens, of the environmental group WWF, told AFP.

"But what it does do is it is a great catalyst for much bigger changes. It engages people in the processes of becoming more energy efficient."

Stevens said the initiative encouraged businesses to be more careful with their electricity use while at the same time sending "a fairly powerful message to governments that people are demanding action."

Some 2.2 million people participated in last year's 'Earth Hour' in Sydney, cutting the central business district's energy usage by more than 10 percent.

While no cities from China or India are involved this year, Stevens said it was hoped that the movement would expand in 2009, which he said would be a particularly significant year given that it is the deadline for United Nations talks to determine future action on climate change after the Kyoto Protocol.

Ridley, who began 'Earth Hour' last year while working with WWF Australia, said the initiative was about individuals and global companies joining together to own a shared problem -- climate change.

"Governments and businesses are joining individuals, religious groups, schools and communities in this terrific movement that's all about making a change for the better," he said.

"It's staggering to see so much support from across the globe in just our second year and we're hoping that this will continue to grow year after year."

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

Good one.

Ian

[austin552]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

Im in!

[Mo_Gearhead]

Just shut down ALL of the electricity to ALL the 'greens' homes, permanently.
Confiscate ALL of the 'liberals' automobiles and issue them bicycles and little green Mao caps.

With about half the population no longer using electric power/fuel/roadways, that should clear up a lot of our problems.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

Only if we're lucky. I have toilet paper with the Kyoto accords printed on it!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

God bless the USA!

[charleskieffner]

the ice shelf collapsed because of penquin farts................methane levels have risen because of cow farts..............dust particulate levels have risen due to droughts.................my a/c bill has risen due to problems at palo verde nuke klar gen station................and these einsteins want to promote awareness by plunging cities into the dark????

do you think a penquin or a cow even think about day or night when they have to FART!

do you only FART at night? or the day? do you contain yer farts so as to save mankind?

i think putting diapers on all the penquins and cows honestly is the answer to this vexing dilemma faced by all of us mere mortals!

better yet we can all go to FART stations set up by the govt. .............step into cubicle much like airport sniffers and LET ONE RIP BIG TIME and in an instant all the methane will be sucked out of cubicle and sent to giant tanks so as to reuse as a viable fuel product to power buses golf carts cars trucks etc.

all of our problems will be solved!

im gonna go turn off my lights now and eat some mega cowboy beans and see if i can let SOME RIP into a zip lock bag and test my theory and singlehandedly save the planet!

[Dave L]

PREDICTION - March 29th, Fire departments world wide are very busy as home owners light candles and burn down thier houses while "turning out the lights for the environment".

[legion]

Just another feel-good campaign that accomplishes nothing.

And I will be VERY PISSED if they shut down the Whirleyball court tomorrow night while I am playing.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by legion

Just another feel-good campaign that accomplishes nothing.

And I will be VERY PISSED if they shut down the Whirleyball court tomorrow night while I am playing.

If they do, tell them you fell and hurt you your back when the lights went out.

We already have an entire day in April.

Jeff, pretty sure Chicago is in the US, San Francisco is close to being in the US.

[Seric]

Lights go off, crime suddenly goes up...

Fail.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

have a lighter I'd be willing to donate for that.
But just to conserve, first I'd use that paper to wipe my butt first. that's all it's good for.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Tobra

San Francisco is close to being in the US.

Unfortunately.

[Zef]

Originally Posted by Mule

Only if we're lucky. I have toilet paper with the Kyoto accords printed on it!

Use it...but don't say it...

[aap1966]

Originally Posted by Dave L

PREDICTION - March 29th, Fire departments world wide are very busy as home owners light candles and burn down thier houses while "turning out the lights for the environment".

This whole "Darwinian' thing just keeps appearing doesn't it?

In all seriousness, "Earth Hour" is a great Australian concept....it's our way of saying we have populist, scientifically illiterate luddites down here too.

I am marking Earth Hour with a little get together tonight, we plan to have a Barbeque while turning both the space heaters and air-conditioners to "nuke" and see which one wins. Plan B entails lighting up the house sufficently that it appears as a probable missile launch at Norad. If I don't hear my neighbours screaming "My eyes....it burns, it burns" then I don't have enough lights on.

[teenerted1]

'Earth Hour' founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 0900 GMT on March 29.

isnt that 9am over there in england? why would you have the lights on in the first place?
thats also the middle of the night here in the USA. my lights will be off anyway with me fast asleep.

its been snowing here today anyway, so i dont think global warming has started in seattle yet.

[widgeon13]

That's exactly what I was thinking, on the east coast it will be 4AM so my skinny a$$ will be fast asleep in a dark house. Turn the lights off all you want just don't ring the doorbell!

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by Dave L

PREDICTION - March 29th, Fire departments world wide are very busy as home owners light candles and burn down thier houses while "turning out the lights for the environment".

PREDICTION - 9 months from Saturday there will be an "Earth Hour Baby Boom."

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm sure in the true spirit of international cooperation the U.S. will celebrate by burning a copy of the Kyoto protocol and having a laser light show, possibly with fireworks and pyrotechnics.

Houston, reporting in. I'll see your a copy of the Kyoto protocol and raise you 10 suvs that get less than 10 miles per gallon.