yes. i totally love that they are encouraging everyone to participate in this and i will definitely be one of the many that turn the lights off for an hour. think about it - you can certainly manage for an hour in candle light.

Conserving energy is a good thing...

In the grand scheme of things, I'm sure everybody recognizes this really isn't saving that much energy. So I have to wonder what's the point really. How is it going to promote awareness if the only people doing it are those who are already "aware" of climate change?

Also, I hope it doesn't encourage crime.

It didn't encourage crime last year.
It's a largely symbolic action that lets politicians worldwide know that people do care about environmental issues. And while one hour doesn't save much energy, it does save some according to the Vancouver Sun last year:

"In 2008, BC Hydro estimated electrical consumption dropped two per cent province wide during Earth Hour. That’s a saving of 125 megawatts, equivalent to turning off 2.5 million lights.

Fifty-two cities and towns officially participated, with North Vancouver district topping the list with a seven-per-cent saving in electricity, followed by Port Coquitlam at 6.7 per cent, Coquitlam at 5.6 per cent, Vancouver at 3.5 per cent, and Burnaby at 2.7 per cent."

I'm gonna be at a wedding, I doubt they will participate...it might make things interesting though.

I plan on going to the movies...I hope they don't turn the power off!

Steph, thanks for the numbers. Do you know what those percents are out of? Is it just out of the predicted amount of energy that would have been used that hour?

It wasn't a deeply analytical piece and was the day after, so probably just figured quickly versus of predicted use.

Let me ask you, what do you think happens where the power is generated? I will tell you absolutely nothing. They burn the same coal, oil or natural gas. Plants need to keep those turbines turning. If your goal is to save money by turning off your lights for an hour. hey, go for it.

I think this is a great symbolic gesture.

kim, as symbolism, you are right. I agree with you.

i can be all pc and intend to do it but chances are im going to totally forget and feel bad about it later.

8:30 to 9:30 pm on a Saturday? That's usually when I'm showering and getting dolled up to go out and stuff. =| Oh well. I suppose I can leave home a bit later.

No. This is so dumb. I think symbolic gestures are worthless wastes of time.

In addition, I used to work at WWF and one of my best friends still works there and they're having this elaborate thing at their building here, on which they've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. Which would be silly on a good day - but they just laid off a bunch of staff, so it seems a little sh*tty to me.

I'll pass. I care more about sustainable energy than some hollow symbolism.

I don't think Earth Hour is all too bad a deal. In Minnesota (the land of Paul Bunyan), there are numerous parades and festivals celebrating the myth of the big lumberjack. It's not so wrong if folks want to celebrate the fairy tale that is global warming by switching off lights and whatnot.

I doubt it will encourage crime. Sex, maybe. Depending on your circumstances at the time.

yup, just did it an hour ago

I think its an awesome idea. Even if it isnt really helping that much I think its wonderful when people come together like this. I hope to remember and have patience!

Nope. I'll be watching TV, working on the computer, and probably have the radio on, just to keep the "overall usage" at a normal level. That way no one can say next year that "on this day, we used half as much electricity as we do today."

And it's important to not say that we conserved energy why? Who is your message intended for Dave?

Petty much?

no. and i'm bothered by the suggestion that this is "doing something". big deal, an hour? make a personal pledge to cut your usage by 10% from now on, that's doing something.

i had a friend tell me they were going out to dinner to save energy during this lights out time. because the restaurant uses no electricity, right? and you use no gas to get there, right? please, order bottled water while you dine and get a styrofoam container for your leftovers.

lickety, that cracks me up! I heard people saying the same thing, but I hoped they were joking.
My lights weren't on until about 9:15 (I was out of the house, using my sister's electricity instead!) but seriously, turning your lights off for an hour will do what, exactly? If I were to turn off all the lights that are on in my house right now, it'd be one 40 watt bulb. Look at me, saving the earth!

I fell asleep I wanted to get some pictures of the strip with the lights out/dimmed. I hope we participate again next year and I'll stay awake lol

I participated; the weather is finally getting nicer here in Montreal, so my boyfriend and I went for a long walk in his neighborhood. I think Earth Hour is a great event, I would recommend they bump it up to 2x a year across the year, and that cities implement it 1x a month. Every bit counts.

*across the earth

We participated, but I was trying to sleep off a migraine so I needed it dark anyway.

Umm, I don't think it counts as "participating" if you weren't in the house and were out, and especially if you were using electricity at a restaurant or using the city's street lights. If you're using power like you would any other day, it didn't count.

Dang it chat, now I can't say I participated.

Unless you made the restaurant open just for you and left your lights on at home, why wouldn't you be participating? If a bunch of people eat by candlelight at a restaurant, that's a bunch of people who don't have their homes lit up and their ovens & microwaves on.

I wont participate, didnt participate, and neither did any of my family or neighbors.

I didnt because its too gimmicky and hypocritical.

As expected I forgot.

The point of this was to eliminate your impact on global "climate change" () for an hour. By doing what one would normally do, you're literally doing nothing to even decrease your impact on global "climate change". () Restaurants use energy for each and every patron above the baseline amount of energy used to keep the restaurant open, plus the lights on in the restaurant, the heater in the restaurant, etc are all due to patrons being present. Being out at a restaurant doesn't mean you're using less electricity, it just means you're using electricity in a different building.

And grandpa, I'm surprised and disappointed.

From the Earth Hour website:

"In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people SWITCHING OFF THEIR LIGHTS lights as part of a global vote."

Steph, it was a global vote, the man made climate alarmists, lost in a landslide.

Like I said in another thread, the people who sponsored Earth Hour and set the goal, determine whether it was met or not - THEY, and the top UN climate change guy, feel it was a huge success. 400 cities last year, nearly 4,000 cities this year.

I still dont see how one can say it was a success? because a city council member said that thier city would participate? and that equals how many people?

This is like hands across america for real.

Ok, I am going to make Irish Whiskey the national drink in the U.S. I have friends in a good dozen states. I am going to set July 4th, where all those who drink drink Irish whiskey. My goal is to get at least one person in each of those states to do as i ask. I think I will be able to make a stunning announcement on July 5th, how more and more people are seeing the efficacy of of drinking "Irish"

That's cool. It's not as good as having readings from electric companies, or video of lights going out on the Sydney Opera house, the Eiffel Tower or across L.A., but I'm sure you could get some attention.