quote:

Originally posted by Ania_xox PS. Anyone have any cool stories regarding the blackout? I missed it as I was in the Polska motherland that summer... please share

I was working at the Milton Correctional Facility when it happened, this was before it became a maximum security prison... When we heard what happened we were all escorted by police to a safe room, the electronic key locks weren't on so we couldn't get out. After about an hour or so we got let out when they found some huge ass key to open the gates. Then that's about it, got back home waited in front of Best Buy along with a few other vans lol waiting for the first person to strike.

quote:

Originally posted by PartEgurl You are hands down the most cynic, pessimistic person I have ever come across in my life. Sorry to crush your perspective, but the organizers of earth hour are NOT trying to make money and take over the world. They actually care about sustaining the worlds population based on the resources available. You say change will only happen when we run out of oil? Earth hour is an organization committed to making change before we reach an energy crisis, which is why you should stop talking about it in a negative way. Your opinions are contradicting.

Call it what you will I just dont buy into a lot of the BS that is fed to us.

Alot of marketing companies have made money from this. Alot of so called charities have recieved a lot of grants for this. Alot of governments have scored political points from this. And all of it to do relatively nothing. It's grandstanding at it's best.

I use a smaller car and drive less because it saves me money. I turn off the light when i leave the room because it saves me money. Turning my lights off for an hour and living like a caveman isnt going to save me much money and its not going to fix the environment. A few 60 watt bulbs and a tv costs what to run? About 30 cents per hour?

Electricity is what differentiates the modern world from the 3rd world. I would argue it also SAVES the environment. Look at haiti. Due to a lack of electricty the local population deforested the entire country for energy. You can now see the border of haiti and the dominican republic from space based soley on its foliage!

And change wont happen until we run out of oil. And when there is an energy crisis it will be man-made just as they always have been in order to drive up our costs and their profits. Im convinced that fuel cell technology or some other form of clean technology has already been developed and is being locked away for safe keeping.

See im hating on big corperations too! At least i have something in common with treehuggers! LOL

Cynical? Maybe... but I just dont buy into BS and hype.... and thats what earth hour is.

Also what is a bit worrisome to me is that we have a track record of sorts. What is today's suggestion is tomorrow's law.

Last edited by Jayx1 on Mar-31-2008 at 02:39

quote:

Originally posted by PartEgurl I don't know how this is possible, but I have disagreed with everything you've ever said. You have to lose to gain - so advertising this issue on electronic signs to have more participation is worth it - this is how the world works. I think earth hour is a great event to educate children (future energy users). It is an interactive way to make them understand how we take electricity for granted and we should conserve.

I agree education is a good thing, but not when it contains misinformation or a false sense of accomplishment. The practices and suggestions being made to the general public have been around for decades, and have been taught for decades. Reuse, reduce, recycle. Turn off your lights when not in the room. Compost. Turn off your tap while brushing your teeth. Not new ideas, but some how being repackaged as new.

The other problem is that people are only paying attention to one aspect of the environment, energy consumption at the end user. Funny thing, that is the one area we as Canadians don't actually have to worry about. We have all the energy, and a lot of clean energy that we need. So if the source of the energy for that light bulb is clean, then who cares how much you use?

What we are not looking at is our consumption of other materials and resources, which are in far greater danger than our atmosphere due to carbon, or our electrical grid. Water consumption may be one of our largest problems yet nobody is telling you to take a shorter shower, or get low flow toilets/sinks. Nobody is telling you to buy less prepackaged food, because they fill up our land fills so quickly and deplete forestry stocks.

Earth Hour was a huge sham which everybody played along with. We are being dazled on the one hand with free concerts, carbon offsets, and public gatherings. On the other side, consumption levels keep rising, and our real problems are slowly slipping through our fingers.

Sustainability is a trend, and with all trends come issues. SOME organizations are using sustainability as a marketing tool. For example certain manufacturers are labeling their products as "green", when in fact most of these products are far from it. What I disagree with is the assumption that earth hour has similar goals making it a negative organization when really it is trying to achieve a positive goal; attempting to bring awareness on a global level to these issues.

I agree water consumption is a larger issue. To grow 1 ton of wheat it takes 1000 tonnes of water, and water tables are shrinking on a global scale. The use of biofuel promotes the use of mass amounts of water - which is a non-renewable resource. There are so many issues and finding the right solutions are difficult; but why would you criticize an organization for trying to raise awareness about these issues (like earth hour)?

quote:

Originally posted by PartEgurl but why would you criticize an organization for trying to raise awareness about these issues (like earth hour)?

Simply because I do not believe in man made global warming. So the promotion of energy conservation to help prevent it, is bogus in my eyes.

This goes back to my earlier point of misinformation. Certain causes and issues are being supported, promoted and forced upon us, which is then backed up by media and societal pressures.

quote:

Originally posted by PartEgurl Sustainability is a trend, and with all trends come issues. SOME organizations are using sustainability as a marketing tool. For example certain manufacturers are labeling their products as "green", when in fact most of these products are far from it. What I disagree with is the assumption that earth hour has similar goals making it a negative organization when really it is trying to achieve a positive goal; attempting to bring awareness on a global level to these issues. I agree water consumption is a larger issue. To grow 1 ton of wheat it takes 1000 tonnes of water, and water tables are shrinking on a global scale. The use of biofuel promotes the use of mass amounts of water - which is a non-renewable resource. There are so many issues and finding the right solutions are difficult; but why would you criticize an organization for trying to raise awareness about these issues (like earth hour)?

The only awareness to come out of this is a demonstration as to how important electricity really is. I would argue that earth hour probably promotes electricty use more than it does curtail it!!

As i said, awareness will come through cost efficiency. Make the alternatives cheap and available and people will have no problem "going green". What we dont need are more lectures and one off grandstanding. Whats more, I have learned about reducing energy since i was a kid thanks to my dad always yelling at us to turn off the lights! LOL!

I went to THE DOCKS and took some pics ...

___________________
"Kiss them for me...for I may be delayed."

quote:

Originally posted by Jayx1 The only awareness to come out of this is a demonstration as to how important electricity really is. I would argue that earth hour probably promotes electricty use more than it does curtail it!! As i said, awareness will come through cost efficiency. Make the alternatives cheap and available and people will have no problem "going green". What we dont need are more lectures and one off grandstanding. Whats more, I have learned about reducing energy since i was a kid thanks to my dad always yelling at us to turn off the lights! LOL!

You are making an assumption that everyone who participated on a global level only gained education about the importance of electricity, and not energy conservation.

Someone remind me why I even tried?

if you really wanted to make a statement then this should have been held Friday afternoon from 1-5 pm....at least then I would have the afternoon off work.

___________________

quote:

Scott has been introduced to the rave scene, and Ecstasy, by Craig. The two of them go out on the weekends, with some of Craigs friends, and stay up all night, dancing in a drug-fueled trance.

Last edited by Moral Hazard on Apr-26-2011 at 07:48

I viewed "Earth Hour" as being stupid - pretty much like Valentines Day where romance is FORCED upon us for one night, as opposed to making an effort all year round.

I'm the only person who turns off the work lights when I leave, I've never had a car and I keep my lights off because I hate large hydro bills.

Rather than make an effort for one crappy hour, once a year we should make an effort all year round.

heres some 2003 blackout pics, now that was def a night when the lights went out:

___________________
"Love-Peace-Respect and Always Music" - Victor Calderone