Earth Hour

Tonight, 8.30 - 9.30 is Earth Hour, when we are asked to turn off all powered items. The JGs have done this a couple of times and it is a peaceful, candlelit time, reading or talking

http://www.earthhour.org/

We completely missed it, no advertising at all over here. In fact I just read that here in NS, the power drop during earth hour was less that half of what it was last year

There was very little notice of it over here. The only reason I remembered is because I had seen something about it a few weeks ago and written it in my diary!

Just heard on the radio about the power drop reporting from Nova Scotia Power
this year a mere 5 megawatts
2012 11 megawatts
2011 18 megawatts

It was about 9pm when the longsufferingspouse said, "Oh, did you know we just missed Earth Hour? Oh well, we live earth life... "

Jaded Green wrote:Tonight, 8.30 - 9.30 is Earth Hour, when we are asked to turn off all powered items. The JGs have done this a couple of times and it is a peaceful, candlelit time, reading or talking

http://www.earthhour.org/

I've looked at that site three times now, since you posted the link, but haven't found a direct reference yet to switching off all powered items. I was curious to know what it is for. I know that might sound naive, and obviously there are going to be energy savings with non-essentials such as computers. But switching off things like the central heating boiler (even if it's gas, it needs electricity to work), fridges and freezers will just cause them to work harder when they come back on, until they have regained their temperature.

Adrian, you posted the figures in megawatts for the energy savings over the last couple of years, but I would have thought that has to be offset by the energy usage in the hour immediately after the 'switch off', and how that compares to normal enery usage.

I am wholeheartedly in agreement with raising awareness, but I have to say that it seems to be more of a gesture than anything. We can all do without things for an hour or two, and I wonder whether there are people who, having switched off for an hour, feel they've done their bit and salved their concience.

This doesn't mean I can't be bothered - far from it. I am deeply committed to doing whatever I can to reduce waste, and use resources carefully.