Saturday 28th March is “Earth Hour” – a time to sit in the dark and appreciate the benefits of our cheap reliable hydrocarbon-energy.
[Like these candles, for example, from the WWF sponsored Earth Hour home page – Anthony]
Guest essay by Viv Forbes
We should spend Earth Hour giving thanks for warmth.
Just thirteen thousand years ago, Earth was in the grip of a deathly ice age. Sea levels were indeed much lower but much of the land surface was covered by thick sheets of ice. Life struggled to survive and many species were extinguished by the sterile suffocating ice.
Without any help from humans, Earth escaped from the ice. And as the oceans warmed they expelled part of their dissolved carbon dioxide which nurtured an enormous increase in plant and animal life.
But the ice still lurks near the poles, and Earth has suffered several cold relapses. The most recent “Little Ice Age” just released its icy grip about 150 years ago.
The modern warming phase ceased around the turn of this century – there are teenagers today who have never lived in a phase of rising global temperatures. And our sun is showing disturbing signs of reduced activity, which may presage a new cooling phase.
Earth is on a climate see-saw between a warm green globe and a frozen white wilderness. Unless you are a penguin or a polar bear, you should spend Earth Hour celebrating today’s warmth and giving thanks for our cheap, abundant hydro-carbon fuels which will help humans to survive any return of Global Cooling.
Earth Hour – we need to celebrate Coal not Candles:
http://carbon-sense.com/2012/03/31/earth-hour/
[Note: Personally, I plan to turn on all my lights tonight, meanwhile, the Dark-Earthers are asking for your opinion about it, see below and click if you wish to add your opinion. There’s lots of opportunity for write-in answers – Anthony]
Newsflash, This just in: Warmest February E V E R recorded has transpired in this year of our (slightly pyromaniacal) Lord, 2015. Head for the basements everyone, don your asbestos helmet, spray yourself with deodorized fire retardant, and above all, refrain from flatulating.
[Fake email address. ~mod.]
Put up a windmill to grind your flour and pump your water and you’re all set.
Well, bummer. “Fizzissist” said something like he or she had the house illuminated by candlelight and was so pleased at the “great strides” we have made, lol.
Thanks Janice but how without yeast to make the bread? And I hope they pump the sewer water to an area below where they use it for drinking ? , @ur momisugly the mod, there are times a snip needs to be left on long enough for all of us to see. ( I think we are adult enough to snip on our own and occasionally we do need a laugh or an adrenaline rush of disgust or anger). Cheerio, asybot.
What about the rest of the solar system ?Talk about elitist.
CO2 is the gas of life. This was my contribution to Earth Day on the 28th –
http://i58.tinypic.com/2uorxvm.jpg
– we fired up this Liebherr 250 tonne capacity CO2 monster and worked hard it all day. Small towns would struggle to match this contribution. If you’re going to produce CO2 to help the plants it’s go hard or go home 😉
I must have one of those for my rush hour commute, Konrad! I suppose you have to check the tire treads on occasion to see if any Nissan Leafs need to be scraped out.
Intimidation is the key to getting home in a timely manner, no? I’m sure the time saved will far outweigh the additional fuel costs, and just think of the trees I could plant on the weekends. None of those wimpy 2″-3″ trunk saplings. That puppy looks like it could plant a 50-year old oak. Green Machine Supreme!
This little light of mine…. I’m gonna let it shine!
And this big one…
And all the ones on the first story…
And all the ones on the second story….
And the porch and deck lights,…
And the garage lights….. in and out.
And even the little ‘night light’ in the bathroom!
Wheeeeee! I can feel the warm breeze coming off the spinning power meter!
Time to go build the brush pile up for a bonfire down front a little later!
Happy Earth ‘Cower’! NOT!!
Whats really funny, to me anyway, is that these people actually believe turning their lights off actually cuts emissions of CO2 from a power station. When I remind them that power stations CANNOT be turned off like a light switch, takes several hours to “spin” down and then several hours more to “spin” back up online, their eyes glaze over. I explain that the power station is still burning coal, so that, when you all switch on your lights to make tea/coffee, the power has to be there to do so. It’s rather confusing for them.
However, this year the message is slightly different. The message is “save the planet” with a twist. The messge is now “people connecting around the world” to save the planet. It’s all about people connecting now, rather than switching lights off, but lights out is the common theme that “connects” us (Apparently). This is the dumbest thing to come out of Australia. Y’know, that “smart”, lucky country now apparently full to the brim with smartless people!
WWF is a super-rich lobby that focuses on negative campaings on its competitors and image marketing. It is surprising that media sees its marketing activities as news, not advertising because appealing to emotions and ignoring facts is known advising tactic.
In a “blog” here in Aus (The home of “Earth Hour”), I’ve just been told that “sun light” interacts with CO2. This person is obviously ignorant to the fact that sun light is SHORT WAVE IR (Ignoring UV). CO2 aborbs at LONG WAVE IR frequencies! Too funny!
Gee,did i miss “earth-hour”t again?!?How silly of me…..but then,nobody in the neighbourhood seemes to
have noticed it either;-)
Darn, I also missed it. I always celebrate Earth Hour by putting all my lights on. I do it to celebrate human progress, the power of light and warmth, the fight against disease, ignorance and poverty, and the amazing natural gift of fossil fuels which are literally making the Earth greener. Sadly, it may be a losing battle….
Chris
@Bryan A
March 28, 2015 at 12:34 pm
Maybe even place them on rotating stands at a slight angle (like search lights) and play Stars & Stripes Forever over a loud speaker
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May be it is old-fashioned, but I Think “Hail, Columbia!” suits that occasion better.
Went out last night to a good friend’s 60th birthday party, which was on a river cruise along the Tyne, from the Newcastle Quayside to Tynemouth and back again. I am pleased to report that I did not see one person with a candle, or buildings with lights out (other than ones that should be dark on a Saturday night).
Candles ???? I guess in the Greenies rule book the soot from candles is OK ? just light a canlle and place the flame against a white surface and watch the white turn to black , soot from candles was one of the reasons our forefathers died so young !”
My girl took me to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. The crowd went crazy for “Sweet Home Alabama” waving their iphones in the air like candles. What a great tribute to Earth Hour. Electronic candles.
Steve,
N.B., you can’t light a doobie with an electric candle. Times have changed.
Well, there was one worthwhile thing that happened during Earth Hour. They turned off the lights at the UN. Now if they wold just leave them off and close down the UN we might make some progress.
http://galesmind.com/2015/03/28/earth-hour-nyc/
Thanks Tom, it just passed “the Midnight Hour” here but I totally agree, every single dollar regarding climate change at the UN is a waste, AAGGRRGHHH the UN was a good idea but it has become a cesspool.
I took the opportunity to plink my neighbor’s pole mounted dusk to dawn light out. Hope the hippie bitch down the street falls under suspicion. LOL
So, like, all these burning candles produced how much carbon?
So, When is it again?
Hopefully 12th Never!
In all seriousness earth hour should be a tribute to those who gave it all to make the earth habitable.
Angle Flight:
Spelling? I know but there was no stop button. 😉
It’s the thought, that counts.
Thanks for that, eyesonu!
Thank You.
(Production notes – Que Elton John music “Circle of Life”. . faintly in the background)
I ,like many on here, was unaware of earth hour until I read about it here this morning. Even had I been aware I wasn’t able to intentionally participate by turning on extra lights or other acts of defiance. My desires were well represented by my job however as I am currently on location where we are drilling a well, liberating sequestered carbon from its shackles deep in the earth. Once completed we will have created an escape route for oil and gas molecules, and their captive Carbon atoms, to make their way to the surface where they can be utilized to provide energy by combining them with Oxygen in various chemical and thermal reactions. The resultant by products create a better way of life and a greater supply of food for all the plants which in turn feed the animals. This conduit for carbon freedom should be economically viable for 20 years with current extraction methods and technology, with potentially more as innovation and efficiencies improve in the coming years. In my own small way I am helping to create a more sustainable and abundant circle of life.
Production note – Sustain music for 10 seconds gradually fading . . )
Matthew Epp
Are you sure they aren’t bees wax candles? If they are, the Vegans will be ticked off.
ONE OF THESE EARTH NIGHTS
Oops … I’ll try again …
Oh well, I tried. (It was supposed to the The Eagles > One of These Night.)
Try Grooveshark…just audio though…
North Korea celebrates Earth Hour every night.
Earth hour was Saturday? Heck. There just wasn’t much talk of it where I live. I missed it completely.