Earth Hour 2009

[Emi Chan]

As most of you know Earth Hour was Saturday, March 28 @ 8:30pm EST. The Lights went out in 4,085 cities in 88 countries in what is being described as the largest demonstration of public concern about climate change in history. You can watch famous landmarks of cities and countries go dark. (Make sure Javascript is enable) This is pretty cool. Check out this amazing view of the world going dark at: www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/earth_hour_2009.html Taipei Taiwan’s Taipei 101 building Hong Kong China’s Financial District. Athens Greece, Acropolis hill. Beijing China’s Olympic swimming pool and Olympic stadium Toronto Washington, U.S. downtown skyline. Rome Italy, ancient Colosseum. Sydney Australia’s Opera House. Shanghai China Skyline off the banks of the Huangpu River. Bangkok Thailand, skyline. Paris France, Eiffel Tower. Stockholm Sweden’s Ericsson Globe. London England’s Houses of Parliament. Lausanne Switzerland’s Cathedral. Lima Peru The main square in downtown. Los Angeles, California, U.S. Nokia Plaza LA live entertainment complex in downtown. Jakarta Indonesia, The roundabout at the main financial district. Las Vegas Nevada U.S. The Vegas Srip. Taipei Taiwan’s Taipei 101 building

[Falsn]

It's a pretty amazing site. But I didn't participate in it Completely forgot about it even though I heard about it 3 hours before it was gonna happen.

[tnemrot]

You could see the lights in my house from space!

[Invader]

Many of the city shots look better with the lights off. It does make it look so much more peaceful. I wonder how much power consumption dropped during the hour.

[CoLd BlooDed]

I think it's incredible how dark Las Vegas would be if it didn't have all those lights. Most of those pictures are pretty breathtaking... I love the Acropolis and Coliseum ones.

[ExoByte]

I turn off all of my lights, appliances, and pretty much everything else that consumes energy in my house for at least 5 hours EVERY night. Its called going to bed. Some Pre-Earth hour goodness. I am turning on everything possible, including starting the cars and putting head lights on high beam. I might even put up the Christmas lights. I'm doing the same. I may even go around to houses in the area and set off their motion lights by flailing my arms. pathetic... You could do so much more! I went out and bought a dozen of those halogen work lamps. I hope my breaker can take it. I'm pouring oil on a duck. I leave a 42 inch LCD TV on ALL DAY LONG, EVERY DAY. And that's just FOR MY CAT. I'm not going to make Ham go an hour without animal planet. You couldn't even begin to imagine how much electricity, water, and fossil fuel my wife and I go through every day just for our own amusement and leisure. For every light that gets turned off, I'm turning on 3 for a week. I'm actually breaking into people's houses and turning their lights back on. I'll be out on the streets, shouting at occupants of dark houses to get haircuts. On another note: http://depletedcranium.com/?p=498

[TweaK]

Haha ExoByte that is funny as hell. I laughed very hard there.

[Emi Chan]

Many of the city shots look better with the lights off. It does make it look so much more peaceful. I wonder how much power consumption dropped during the hour. I've seen some averages somewhere when I find them I'll post them up. You are right everything does take a peaceful sense when the lights are out. I think it's incredible how dark Las Vegas would be if it didn't have all those lights. Most of those pictures are pretty breathtaking... I love the Acropolis and Coliseum ones. Las Vegas was very impressive to me as well. It's amazing how it looks without the lights on especially on the strip and especially considering they never turn off those lights. Some Pre-Earth hour goodness. On another note: http://depletedcranium.com/?p=498 I agree this was very funny ExoByte. lol. And regarding the link, I think Earth Hour is a publicity stunt but if it makes one person make a differece and it trinkles down to others, than it's a good idea.

[Adam]

I wonder how many accidents were reported with the lights down...?

[Hercuflea]

Yeah seriously, i think i sucked all of the energy out of my neighborhood that night. People need to realize that the Sun is what causes Global Warming, not a bunch of tiny humans.

[TweaK]

Uhm yeah and you need to retake your geography classes. The sun and the atmosphere are indeed the cause of a natural greenhouse effect (ie global warming). The atmosphere "blocking" radiation from the sun (I'm not sure if that's the exact term, I take my classes in Dutch >_>) going out and not letting all the warmth that comes in go out is a natural thing, and without it we wouldn't be able to live on this planet. It would be far too cold. The human species however, are enhancing the global warming effect, ie the enhanced global warming effect (O RLY); the question is to what extent. Denying we have anything to do with enhancing the global warming effect is just naïve and idiotic. Oh wow, a semi smart post from TweaK? Has hell frozen over?

[juiceyfruit1714]

lol Tweaks right about that one. I'm posting though to say that the website you linked says "More than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday March 28th" where did you get your numbers? I'm not being sarcastic, i'd like to see the official records myself.

[Emi Chan]

lol Tweaks right about that one. I'm posting though to say that the website you linked says "More than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday March 28th" where did you get your numbers? I'm not being sarcastic, i'd like to see the official records myself. Which do you have a problem with the countries or the cities? I don't see a geographical problem here at all, considering there are well over 80 countries in this world and also considering cities are defined differently around the world then it comes down to your definition of what a city is, in which case you can have in access of 4000 +.

[ExoByte]

I don't think he has a problem with any of the information. Hes not questioning anything, hes just interested in the statistics.

[juiceyfruit1714]

Which do you have a problem with the countries or the cities? I don't see a geographical problem here at all, considering there are well over 80 countries in this world and also considering cities are defined differently around the world then it comes down to your definition of what a city is, in which case you can have in access of 4000 +. I don't remember typing "I have a problem", but Ok haha. Thank you exobyte for clearing the situation up. I read on the LINK that the original person posted that it was "more than 1000 cities in over 80 countries" and the person who posted said "4085 cities in 88countries"..we all know 4000 is "more then 1000" and no shit 88 is "more than 80" but if you're gonna post a link to verify what you said but it has different information then what you posted then it doesnt clarify the situation and some people might want to know the real number instead of seeing different statistics everywhere else. Thanks.

[Keresztanya]

Please, stop calling it "global warming". It makes you sound like an idiot. It's called "climate change". I don't know if you've noticed, but the winters are colder now. Anyway, this is all just bullshit that environmentalists can use to excuse their energy wasting for the rest of the year. It's not like turning off your lights for one hour per year is going to make up for 364 days of using power.

[Emi Chan]

I don't remember typing "I have a problem", but Ok haha. Thank you exobyte for clearing the situation up. I read on the LINK that the original person posted that it was "more than 1000 cities in over 80 countries" and the person who posted said "4085 cities in 88countries"..we all know 4000 is "more then 1000" and no shit 88 is "more than 80" but if you're gonna post a link to verify what you said but it has different information then what you posted then it doesnt clarify the situation and some people might want to know the real number instead of seeing different statistics everywhere else. Thanks. My numbers come directly from the Earth Hour Organization. The actual source.

[YULAW]

So since you've got those numbers now Juicey and it's clear they do not match, are you going to contact the Boston Globe and World Wild Life to let them know that they have conflicting information? Once you do that I like to see the responses, so post it up when you're finished

[juiceyfruit1714]

Dreamviews? this website should be called Attackviews because there is literally no thread that doesnt have somebody intentionally attacking someone else. First of all, what's idiotic is saying it's not called "Global Warming"..If you havent noticed, the winter temperature is fluctuating. One day you can't go outside without a jacket scarf and mittens then the next you're wearing swim trunks washing the car outside. Be serious. Here in Georgia, last April it was hailing with snow flurries. It's global warming whether you like it or not. We need the atmosphere for alot of very important components of human life..one component happening to be the ozone layer to block out the UV rays that give you that worse-then-nice tan and keeps the glaciers from melting and water levels from rising, to keep it simply. Now, between CFC's and pollution we've been killing the atmosphere and more importantly our ozone layer...resulting in the above.. and just to add, it's 365. More to the confrontation... Wouldnt it have just been easier to say "uhh i got it off the original source which is different then the link i just gave everyone." Like i said, i wanted statistics, not a smartass response from someone who had absolutely Nothing to do with this discussion and absolutely nothing to contribute but ridicule to this thread. Direct quote from the link that Switch provided originally. "Started in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour quickly grew into a global observance. More than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday March 28th," Would you like to ask someone who won a football game what the score was and 3 different people tell you different scores? Thats all this was, so you can stop with the 'I'm so smart' because it's not really working.

[Keresztanya]

Global Warming is a media-overdone buzzword that you can use to make it seem like you're doing something to the environment. I prefer climate change, since it's getting colder and warmer, it's fluctuating, as you said. And sorry, but if it's fluctuating, it's not just getting warmer.

[juiceyfruit1714]

say what? Global Warming means just what it means though bro. global=around the world warming=gets hotter Without the ozone layer, we're letting more UV rays in. Thus, glaciers melt, levels rise, temperature flunctuates and we get burned alot easier in the summer and we get colder at times in the winter.. Not to mention the more intense effects that are irrelevant in this discussion. It's global warming, which causes a change in the climate..which is expected. When "the planets align" or whatever in 2012, that'll be a permanent climate change which is thought to kill off life. I don't believe the b/s, but I do believe in global warming, take a look outside.

[Keresztanya]

say what? Global Warming means just what it means though bro. global=around the world warming=gets hotter ... and we get colder at times in the winter.. Explain.

[juiceyfruit1714]

The ozone works as an insulator as well but not in giant noticable effects. It's irrelevant to the point, so let's get back on topic. Global Warming is real, and thats the threat. Climate Change,my friend, is the definition of Global Warming.

[Ne-yo]

Wow we got some emotional people here. If you look closely Juiceyfruit you'll also notice tha thet link switch provided is embedded with the original source. Thats what I see. Maybe if you stop bickering and crying about small irrelevant things then you've probably would've realized that.

[Black_Eagle]

The ozone works as an insulator as well but not in giant noticable effects. It's irrelevant to the point, so let's get back on topic. Global Warming is real, and thats the threat. Climate Change,my friend, is the definition of Global Warming. But what happens when the climate changes to an ice age?