First cities go dark for Earth Hour

<LI class=cnnhiliteheader>Story Highlights
Sydney among first world cities to plunge into darkness Saturday night
Building and landmarks worldwide turning off lights for this year's Earth Hour
This year 26 major world cities, 300-plus other communities have signed up
Even popular search engine Google has displayed a completely black Web pageSYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Sydney's iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge went dark Saturday night as the world's first major city turned off its lights for this year's Earth Hour, a global campaign to raise awareness of climate change.

The lights on the arch of Harbour Bridge were turned off at 8 p.m., followed shortly by the shells of the Opera House and other city landmarks. Most businesses and homes were already dark as Sydney residents embraced their second annual Earth Hour with candlelight dinners, beach bonfires and even a green-powered outdoor movie.

The city was noticeably darker, though not completely blacked out. The business district was mostly dark; organizers said 250 of the 350 commercial buildings there had pledged to shut off their lights completely.

The number of participants was not immediately available but organizers were hoping to beat last year's debut, when 2.2 million people and more than 2,000 businesses shut off lights and appliances, resulting in a 10.2 percent reduction in carbon emissions during that hour.

http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gifWatch the lights go out in Sydney for Earth Hour. » (http://cnn.site.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=First+cities+go+dark+for+Earth+Hour+-+CNN.com&expire=04%2F28%2F2008&urlID=27488719&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2008%2FWORLD%2Fasia pcf%2F03%2F29%2Flights.out.ap%2Findex.ht#cnnSTCVid eo)

The effect of last year's Earth Hour was infectious. This year, 26 major world cities and more than 300 other cities and towns have signed up for the event.

New Zealand and Fiji kicked off the event this year. In Christchurch, New Zealand, more than 100 businesses and thousands of homes were plunged into darkness, computers and televisions were switched off and dinners delayed for the hour from 8 to 9 p.m. Suva, Fiji, in the same time zone, also turned off its lights.
Auckland's Langham Hotel switched from electric lights to candles as it joined the effort to reduce the use of electricity, which when generated creates greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

After Australia, lights will go out in major Asian cities, including Manila and Bangkok before moving to Europe and North America as the clock ticks on. One of the last major cities to participate will be San Francisco -- home to the soon-to-be dimmed Golden Gate Bridge.

"What's amazing is that it's transcending political boundaries and happening in places like China, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea," said Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley. "It really seems to have resonated with anybody and everybody."

Organizers see the event as a way to encourage the world to conserve energy (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Global_Climate_Change). While all lights in participating cities are unlikely to be cut, it is the symbolic darkening of monuments, businesses and individual homes they are most eagerly anticipating.

Even popular search engine Google put its support behind Earth Hour, with a completely black Web page and the words: "We've turned the lights out. Now it's your turn."


"It is a wake-up call," said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "We need to really plan for our future. (Earth Hour) is something we can all do together. Going global is very empowering."
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All AboutGlobal Climate Change (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Global_Climate_Change)

Hello All...


How many of you are going to participate in Earth Hour at 8pm tonight?

Thank you Anthony ( I merged our threads) for putting the time, I wasn't sure if/ when we were supposed to do it!

I will try, if I can pry all the electronics out of our family's hands!

no problem...

I think this is an important issue that more people need to be aware of. Times are changing ( and it seems not for the better either ) and we as humans need to start making a conscious effort to stop wasting so much energy.:Smiley247

I will be participating. I'll be the house with candles on.

Hello All...


How many of you are going to participate in Earth Hour at 8pm tonight?

I would be more than happy to find some other form of entertainment to do in the dark, but alas there is no prospects.

I guess I could take a nap!

Auckland's Langham Hotel switched from electric lights to candles as it joined the effort to reduce the use of electricity, which when generated creates greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.


The moment I read this, I realized this was nothing more than homage to this global warming idiocy. I will not waste one second of my time participating in this nonsense.

It's really just for at a min., an hour.

The moment I read this, I realized this was nothing more than homage to this global warming idiocy. I will not waste one second of my time participating in this nonsense.

Another idiotic comment that let's someones common sense get blinded by political beliefs. Global Warming or Global Climate Change isn't really something some lefties made up. The planet cycles, but there is also a larger amount of polution thanks to the human animal. However, I will agree that whatever we do won't really change anything. The planet will heal itself, and that will probably be by exterminating the human race. We won't see it, and it may not happen for a few thousand years...but we'll eventually go extint as the planet finds a way to counter us.

Nature is all about balance. We are obviously at the point of throwing things out of balance...it'll get reset.

Here's what's going to happen...

Someone celebrating Earth Hour is going to knock over a candle and set their house on fire. The smoke will release pollutants into the air, the firetrucks will burn gas coming to put it out, water will be used to put out the fire, trees will be felled to provide lumber for the new house...

Geez, I've scared myself so much that I'm going to have every light in the house on -- and a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.

Another idiotic comment that let's someones common sense get blinded by political beliefs. Global Warming or Global Climate Change isn't really something some lefties made up. The planet cycles, but there is also a larger amount of polution thanks to the human animal. However, I will agree that whatever we do won't really change anything. The planet will heal itself, and that will probably be by exterminating the human race. We won't see it, and it may not happen for a few thousand years...but we'll eventually go extint as the planet finds a way to counter us.

Nature is all about balance. We are obviously at the point of throwing things out of balance...it'll get reset.

How naive and bigoted of you to presume my political beliefs drive my opinion on this matter. The false science and fraud being perpetrated on well meaning people is MUCH more infuriating than any political motivations I may have. I find it interesting, however, that you additionally presume it would be something the "lefties" would make up. Whose biases are more evident now?

There's an entirely separate thread devoted to the global warming debate, so I have no intention of restarting it here. I freely state that I find the motivations behind what is being sold as "human induced global warming" to be an absolute , abject fraud, and when I see people being motivated to participate in something as inane as this "light out" event, that serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever, combined with this false science about "conserving electricity...that produces greenhouse gases..." and believe that so much as one person might actually believe it is manifestly frustrating - just as much if I were to find out a math professor were to start trying to teach children that 2+2=3.

The disingenuity of the GW crowd is no more evident in the way they embrace so-called "green" products - the "hybrid" alternative fuel vehicles come to mind, but fail to realize they're arguably as big a fraud as the rest of the movement. If someone slaps the word "hybrid" on a car, it must be better for the environment, right? No one, however, seems to be taking about the batteries many of those cars employ, and the average 2-3 year maximum lifespan most of those batteries hold, and the $6000-$7000 cost to replace them. No mention of where those dead, useless batteries will go, or how they might prove to be infinitely more harmful to the "planet" than these "evil" internal combustion engines. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in this global fraud.

If you want to sell me on the idea of conserving electricity merely for the common sense behind turning off a lightbulb you're not using, I have no problem with that. If we can take reasonable steps to clean up our act, merely because it makes sense to clean up certain elements of industry, that's fine. When you start trying to sell it in the name of "global warming," it disgusts me so thoroughly that it makes me want to turn on every light in my house in my own form of civil disobedience.

This is a war over people's minds, and the propagation of a Big Lie of which Hitler himself would have been proud.

-soonerdave

I kinda like the prospect of warmer weather.

;)

Can someone post cliff notes on what dave said?

Thanks in advance!

so much of this isn't well thought out/planned. I switched to CFLs in several lamps/lights in my house a couple years ago. All went fine until two "went out" and, reading that they have small amounts of mercury thereby requiring "special disposal", I called the City (OKC) and was told they couldn't be thrown in the trash, you have to take them to the Haz Disp site at SW 15th and Portland. Thinking this wasn't too practical for 2 small lightbulbs (gas prices, pollution, wear/tear on the roads), I called OG&E. . . same answer. Broached my concerns to my council person. . .he researched and said the answer is to either take them to Haz Disp OR. . .double bag them in zip locks and put them in the trash (as if they won't get smashed in the garbage. . .and the plastic takes eons (if ever) to degrade. He (council person) indicated that Hunziker Lighting was looking into/thinking about a disposal site. . .but haven't seen anything about it in the paper. I want to do what I can, but it isn't easy!!

I won't be participating tonight.

Organizers see the event as a way to encourage the world to conserve energy (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Global_Climate_Change). While all lights in participating cities are unlikely to be cut, it is the symbolic darkening of monuments, businesses and individual homes they are most eagerly anticipating.

I don't see the problem with bringing attention to ways we can all conserve energy.

SoonerDave, why don't we all go do laps around town tonight in our gas guzzling SUV's from 8-9? We'll show all these junk scientists who's right!

Can someone post cliff notes on what dave said?

Thanks in advance!

He said he's already turned his lights out upstairs.

I have everything off except the computer.. tv and stereo.. but the lights are all off.

Does that count?

Norman was doing this officially as a city, I wish OKC was proactive enough to do this and have more green public initiatives.

i agree with SoonerDave. Global warming is the greatest hoax perpetrated on mankind... so what if the great majority of scientists involved with climate theory agree that it's human caused... i like SoonerDave do not need to study what those lefty eggheads have produced.. i go with my gut... my gut tells me that global warming is nothing more than too many cows farting...i'm also an idiot... i also didn't evolve from gorillas... i sprung forth from zeus's eyes... yesterday...

by the way please don't interpret anything i have just said to read that i am a conservative or a liberal... i am above all that nonsense like SoonerDave... We don't need those stupid politics... we just happen to follow the idealogical path of right wing nutcases... because they are right which makes us following them right too...

If someone slaps the word "hybrid" on a car, it must be better for the environment, right? No one, however, seems to be taking about the batteries many of those cars employ, and the average 2-3 year maximum lifespan most of those batteries hold, and the $6000-$7000 cost to replace them.

Toyota has a ten-year warranty on the Prius battery pack, and so far, the few failures have been related to corrosion on the connections, not the batteries themselves.

Behind the Hidden Costs of Hybrids | Hybrid Cars (http://www.hybridcars.com/economics/hidden-costs.html)

i agree with SoonerDave. Global warming is the greatest hoax perpetrated on mankind... so what if the great majority of scientists involved with climate theory agree that it's human caused...

And, once again, we have part of the perpetuation of the notion that there exists this indisputable consensus of scientists that just doesn't exist, but if you dare to dispute this "foregone" conclusion you're subject to all manner of personal attacks. This is the new fascism, people. You're demonstrating it here - if I don't believe it, I'm an idiot, I'm the outsider, I'm some sort of right wing nut job. It isn't even about having an open and fair debate (presuming the topic deserved it), because those who dare to hold the contrarian view are shouted down because their "side" is deemed unworthy to be heard. Some people think you deserve to lose your career if you're not on the "right" side of this debate.

You think this argument is a fait accompli? Go tell that to William Gray, one of the world's foremost experts on hurricanes, or even ol' John Coleman, who founded the Weather Channel some twenty years ago. These are legitimate meterological experts who will tell you, without hesitation, and with a darned sight more expertise, the same thing - it all junk. But they don't get much notoriety, unless there exists the simultaneous opportunity to make them seem wrong or stupid because they refuse to toe the "politically correct" line on this issue. Just more "stupid right wingers," I guess.

You are the ones who insist on injecting the political perspective on this. Have I offered "Republican" or "Democrat" into any of this discussion? Folks, I've been following this nonsense since it first started nearly twenty years ago with a panel discussion that aired on C-SPAN, and a true climate scientist took the panel to task with what he called their "junk science" findings. It was maybe ten years after a similar group of scientists were "absolutely convinced" we were going ito a global ice age back in the 70's.

If you dare, go read a few discussions about this over at JunkScience.com -- Steven Milloy, Publisher (http://www.junkscience.com). It talks at length about the science farce that is global warming. Not politics, but science. Go read about how the UN's IPCC altered the findings of their final report twice because their research data didn't meet their pre-determined conclusions. Go read about how the "solutions" to this "problem" aren't about cutting emissions, they're about paying for creating them.

No matter how many epithets you choose to hurl my way, no matter how many insults you toss, you'll never change the fact that this GW hysteria is rooted in hysteria, hyperoble, and fear. And as far as the science goes, you'll find there's more than a bit of credible evidence that a very regular period of solar activity is not occurring in concert with its predicted schedule. The possible result on our environment? Substantive, and predictable, global cooling.

Bash away.

I'm telling ya, this lights-out hour is all a big scam by the flashlight and candle cartel to increase sales!

Again SoonerDave we understand the reality of things. I mean who cares if a simple Google search can disprove most of our assertions and the proponents of our point of view that "global warming is a scam" that you so correctly regurgitated. WHO CARES?! Our information comes from the gut. Also you are completely right!! I completely agree why would anyone assume we are liberal or conservative based on what we type here???!!! Are there people in here accusing us of being disingenuous??!! My GOD! I don't understand it??!! I mean I’ve heard that saying that if it walks like a duck.. and quacks like a duck.. it must be a duck....but I really just don’t get that saying... oh i found this awesome quote by Steve Milloy that i thought would completely back up everything you said about that brilliant & renowned authority on climate science!!! "Although Milloy frequently represent himself as an expert on scientific matters, he is not a scientist himself. He holds a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences, a law degree and a master's degree in biostatistics. He has never published original research in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Moreover, he has made scientific claims himself that have no basis in actual research. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for example, he claimed that greater use of asbestos insulation in the World Trade Towers would have delayed their collapse "by up to four hours." In reality, there is no scientific basis for claiming that asbestos would have delayed their collapse by even a second, let alone four hours” "

Sooner Dave,

Once again, follow the money:

Steven J. Milloy - SourceWatch (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Steve_Milloy)
Steven Milloy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Milloy)

Debunking Milloy:
RealClimate (http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=22)

I've seen where you get the bulk of your ammo on this argument. Your assertion that you are impartial on the issue from a political perspective or otherwise appears rickety at best.

Who cares.

Who cares.

That's what I'm saying. What kind of response did we expect from such a conservative state? Ok... just kidding. I had to... :)

i agree with SoonerDave. Global warming is the greatest hoax perpetrated on mankind...

Okay, Mr. Inhofe...:rolleyes:


I don't see the problem with saving a little energy. Even if you don't believe in Global Warming, there's also that whole thing about dwindling fossil fuels.

Are you kidding me with this?
Another tree hugging attempt that will do nothing.

It's like everyone not buying gas on a certain day. Did that work? Obviously not since gas prices went up more and are still going!

Everyone doing something small for one hour isn't going to make up for what they waste the other 23.

Thank you Moore for not participating in this. Our CD release show would have been pretty crappy without electricity.

1. I don't think they were actually shutting off power where people had to unwillingly participate, they just turned off lights on major city properties and got a lot of other people to do it to. So if Moore had done it, they wouldn't have shut your power off for your party.

2. This is not trying to have an actual impact (like the gas thing was supposed to) so much as it's a way to encourage people to save power when they can. Don't leave all the lights on in your house all day while you're gone, for example.

Man I was going to come in here and post some sarcastic comment about this that would have most likely led to a spirited debate.....

But then I read SoonerDave's posts and realized that he has already taken care of all of it for me.....

Keep on spreading the good news Dave.... even though Al Gore stands to lose a fortune if everyone believed you, it doesn't make you any LESS RIGHT.......

:congrats:

no problem...

I think this is an important issue that more people need to be aware of. Times are changing ( and it seems not for the better either ) and we as humans need to start making a conscious effort to stop wasting so much energy.:Smiley247

I turned every light in the house on....this is stupid, the amount of energy that we 'saved' is insignificant, and I am not sure what the point of it all was.
Lets face the facts, United States is behind Europe in environmental responsibility, I think we need go and start being mad at Indian and Chinese policy makers rather than do something as STUPID as turning the lights off the the Golden Gate Bridge for an hour. That was a pointless PR stun designed to give people warm and fuzzy feeling that they were 'doing' something when in reality China and India pollute more in 10 minutes than all the major landmarks having their lights turned off for an hour.

So my having my lights on was a protest of China, was a protest of placing stricter and stricter regulations on US business that drives those businesses over seas while nations like China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mexico continue to have non-existent environmental policies, while the US continues to suffer because we have decided that WE can change the world.

Lets face it, the US has lost it's social leadership in the world to the European Union, with Bush (refrains from character assassination) running around making an ass out of our nation, and with every celebrity crisis in Hollywood being plastered on CNN who are we to make a statement of Moral or Ethical superiority, or to say that we are better because we have cut our Greenhouse emissions???

LONG story short, the Environmental Ball is in Southeast Asia's court, and the world should wait and see what will happen, if we have Southeast Asia undoing the strict environmental laws of the EU and the US then how are we to achieve anything? I think a more noticeable way to show that we care about the environment would be a world wide ban on goods made in Southeast Asia until those governments begin a stricter environmental policy...THAT would make a difference.

I wish the phrase "global warming" was banned from the English language.

All it does is force most dialog about the environment into two polarized corners with rhetoric flying from both ends.


I don't really care if global warming is happening or if it's caused by the human race.

What I do care about is being responsible in the way we take care of our planet and most reasonable people would agree there are common sense actions that the government and citizens should be taking, but it seems like that sort of thing is never discussed because people are too busy fighting about something that is not going to be resolved in any of our lifetime's.

And besides, our increasing (yes, it continues to go up) reliance on foreign oil is obviously a very bad thing on many levels. That's the sort of thing that needs to be addressed and I don't really give a fig if Al Gore is right or just an opportunist.

Well said, Pete.