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Are you an Earth Hour Grinch? It’s a bit Green Kitsch, and it’s not going to change the world. But you should still Switch off on Saturday night.
Before you decide if you’re ON or OFF, skim through these basic facts and arguments:
What is it?
Earth Hour 2010 is 27 March, 20h30-21h30, and the concept is that everyone in the world who cares about climate change will be switching off their lights. An OFF switch = a vote for the Earth; an ON switch = a vote for global warming, say the organizers. Supporters have called it “the first global vote” and “the greatest voluntary action ever”.
Everyone taking part is signing up on the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Earth Hour web site www.wwf.org.za , so that the "votes" can actually be counted. Or you can sms EH2010 and your name to 34017 (R2/SMS).
But why? What's the point?
The Big Lights Out is a simple, dramatic way to send a message to the world's leaders, big business and everyone else that we're sick of conversation without action.
What are the arguments against Earth Hour?
Earth Hour has been roundly criticized as an empty gesture – yet another way for the leisured classes to salve their collective environmental conscience without actually doing anything constructive to make a real difference.
Well, isn’t it kind of empty?
Only if we allow it to be: the aim is raising awareness; the hope is that action will follow from awareness. This year WWF is challenging us to focus on real change by pledging to reduce our carbon footprint.
Are people really going to go for this?
Some of us certainly are. Over 1000 cities and towns have signed up – even more than expected. And millions of people are switching off: the target is 1 billion.
Are you supposed to just switch off your lights or everything electrical?
That's up to you, but I think it's kind of missing the point to turn the lights off and then stick a load of washing in the tumbledryer.
Is everyone switching off at the same time?
Everyone is switching off when the clock strikes 20h30, wherever they are. (If the whole world switched off simultaneously, then some people would be doing so in broad daylight, which wouldn't be much fun.)
What are we supposed to do for that hour?
Anything you like. Some people will be having full-out Earth Hour parties in the dark, others more genteel candle-lit sit-downs. Some are just going to mellow out and enjoy an hour free of light pollution. (Just keep in mind it's probably best to stay off the darkened streets, and watch out for the naked flames with all those candles...)
There are also lots of events organized around the country from a candlelit dinner at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town , to a Rooi Plein picnic in Stellenbosch, to movies and being plunged into darkness at the Jon\burg Zoo. See www.wwf.org.za for what’s on near you.
Are you an Earth Hour Grinch or an Earth Hour Firefly (i.e. you'll be glowing naturally from within on Saturday Night)? Post a "nay" or "yay" in the comment facility below; we'd also be interested to know why.
(Olivia Rose-Innes, EnviroHealth Editor, Health24, March 2010)
Read more:
Health effects of artifical light
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Your Comments
Light a fire
We're having a braai by candlelight - wonder what the meat is going to taste like?
Good article
Interesting. Never thought of the concept of Green Kitsch, but I suppose it's better than nothing.
Green Kitsch
Ha ha....I also liked the Green Kitsch concept. It might not change the world, but it's still better than nothing and will raise awareness.
Firefly!
Definitely switching off! 3rd year for me, I even persauded my father to switch off last year (& he''s one of the global-warming-is-a-myth brigade!). What I'd really love to see is a video-clip taken from the space station showing us what it looks like when the big switch-off starts & rolls around the globe!
Sacrifices
OK. I guess it's a good idea, even if it means that I won't be able to watch my favourite comedy at 20:30. It's just this one time, for an hour.
Ummm, if I switch off my TV and everything else in my house but still record the comedy show, is that cheating? :-)
firefly mission
YAY YAY YAY!
i'll be sitting in the dark with my luvverly having all kinds of fun!
silence
The nice thing is that everything goes so quiet. No blaring hi-fis or TVs.
Nay Nay Nay
I'll be switching on every possible light in my house.
Nay Nay Nay
I'll be switching on every possible light in my house.
YAY
YAY romatic dinner for two!
braai?
So if we all light up candles, make a braai, or just relax around a camp fire don't we cause more damage? Does anybody ever think about reality? It seems as if this earth hour is just an excuse to make you believe you are actually doing something. Does anybody really think that those 4000Mwatt stations will use less coal for that hour? Instead of frolicking in your garden thinking you are going to see the milky way, rather climb on your bicycle and help your neighberhood with crime stop
Nay
The idea is nice and yes I agree about doing everything we can to save our planet. But in a country like SA when the lights go off for that hour, the entire country is out making braai fires which may well add an even greater air polution problem to the world ozone layer. Its better to push daily awareness than to do the razmataz thing of an hour once a year.
a bonus for criminals
If I were a burglar, that is exactly the hour I would use to strike.
Moaners...
South Africans are a bunch of moaners (not everybody but too many) ... Complains about EVERYTHING all the TIME!! Always pessimistic and never able to see the bright side of life... Come on, lighten up a bit and smell the roses :) Lifes not that bad!
Propaganda!
Earth Hour is a wonderful propaganda stunt.
Definitely yay...
What a grumpy lot Earthlings are. Get with the programme guys and switch off. Most of us look better in candlelight anyway.
Absolutely yay
You can be a firefly or you can sulk in the dark if you want to, but participate anyway. Exercise your right to a global vote and vote for the good of everyone on the planet.
..and just because the lights are off doesn't mean you have to create a big fire in the backyard people. There are plenty of fun things to do in the dark for an hour...like stargazing -)
All journey's begin with a single step
Earth Hour may not be a long term solution yet, but it gets people thinkng and this very debate proves that the WWF are getting it right. Flick a switch and think about our impacts and how we can make a difference, however insignificant we may think it is. Bravo Earth Hour!
EH
Yay it all starts with awareness so lets sacrifice just that little bit
Earth Hour
What a waste of time & effort. Very few people actually give a damn, so why bother. Concern & morals are long gone - most people care only about themselves, certainly here in SA. As an example,it is illegal to drive whilst talking on a handheld cell phone, but just look around you next time you are driving, if you can see properly passed the phone that YOU are holding to one of your ears, to see how many people truly care ! Will the service providers shut down their network for an hour ? NO
Can't wait
Its my birthday party tonight and I've told all my guest to bring a torch, we're going to have a night time treasure hunt and have fun. And ALL out lights will be ok.
Can't wait
Its my birthday party tonight and I've told all my guest to bring a torch, we're going to have a night time treasure hunt and have fun. And ALL out lights will be ok.
Go Eksdom go!
The only way to save on green house gasses is for Eskom to switch off. No sorry, only a joke! No bolts in the turbine again!
@Semjaja
Propaganda at what?? Eish some people only know 5 words and 4 of them are political. Earth hour is a great SYMBOLIC gesture which I am going to take part in.
Oh yeah...?
If action follows awareness, why was Copenhagen such a failure. The reason that Earth Hour will always be a symbolic waste of time is that if we actually had to make REAL change, it would hurt too much. The problem, of course, is that eventually we won't have a choice in the matter...then it will really hurt.
21.30
Hope the whole country's power doesn't take a dip as everyone switches back on at 21.30...oh wait most people in Africa don't have power anyway...and their burning fires etc is causing way more damage than the 5 lights I could possibly switch off.
Earth Hour
What a pointless wank!
long-term solutions?
Is it better to waste electricity all year and turn off the lights for one hour, or is it better to use fewer, energy-efficient lightbulbs all year round?
If I keep my lights on for this hour, but my yearly energy consumption is lower than someone who participates in Earth Hour, does that still make me a bad person?
Earth Hour
Earth Hour in North Korea a stunning success
Earth Hour in North Korea a stunning success
-|-//wattsupwiththat.com/2010/03/27/earth-hour-in-north-korea-a-stunning-success/
Earth Hour
It is to create awarness! Try to save electricity all year round and have less Braai's or make fewer fires ....if we all did our bit it WOULD help but if we don't we will eventually be sorry!
So even the ones without electricity should do their bit.
Come on lets be positive and do the right thing!
We switched our electricity off last night and sat outside in the beautiful moon light and we all discussed how we could help, It was a constructive effort and that is what counts!!!!!!
And the winners are...?
Hmm...if I'm not mistaken, I think the yaysayers won this particular contest - but some feisty arguments from the grinches too. A couple more cents from me:
- Crime hasn't been shown to rise during Earth Hour
- Every citizen of the Earth should be involved in positive change, but the onus is on us citizens with the greatest degree of choice i.e. with the luxury of a switch to flick on or off.
Oh dear
The naysayers are pulling ahead on the News24 poll this morning however:
Grinches: 47%
Fireflies: 40%
The Completely Clueless: 14%
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