Lights on or off? Earth Hour challenged by Human Achievement Hour

MSNBC ^

[matt04]

Earth Hour, the annual event that turns off lights as a statement for cleaner energy, marks its fifth year this Saturday. But a free-market think tank is trying to get some traction with its alternative: the Human Achievement Hour, when people are encouraged to leave lights on to show their appreciation for inventions "and the recognition that future solutions require individual freedom not government coercion."

...

In the other corner is the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which isn't expecting to match Earth Hour's reach but aims to make a point when they battle from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. this Saturday in time zones around the globe.

"Gather with friends in the warmth of a heated home, watch television, take a hot shower, drink a beer, call a loved one on the phone, or listen to music," the institute says on its website.

"If you’re going to vote you need at least two choices," says Michelle Minton, the Competitive Enterprise Institute fellow who came up with HAH in 2009. "While I believe that a lot of people celebrating Earth Hour truly just want a clean and healthy environment for themselves and their families -- a completely reasonable opinion, which I share -- I felt their support was being used by the environmentalist movement to spread a message that is much less positive."

"Many environmentalists see humans as fundamentally destructive and want to force individuals to conserve," she adds. "Earth Hour is an attempt to convince lawmakers that the majority of the population wants them to clamp down on progress."

As for the numbers, Minton figures "between 1,000-2,000 people knowingly celebrate Human Achievement Hour." The HAH Facebook page had nearly 200 people signed up as of Thursday afternoon.

[matt04]

I would say more then 2k participate in Human Achievement Hour.

[JRandomFreeper]

Every light in the house is on, I've got a fire going outside, and I'm calculating pi on a bunch of servers that sound like screaming banshees. I'm enjoying a cold beer. And I never signed up to participate.

So the sign-up numbers may not be indicative.

/johnny

[doc11355]

In case you want more info directly from the source, as opposed to a quasi-Marxist media outlet, try here:

Human Achievement Hour 2012

[mountn man]

Lights are on throughout the house, in and out.

Surfing FR with the tv on in the background.

[wastedyears]

I asked to join their Facebook page.

[freedumb2003]

TV, lights, speaker system, computers, AC all cranking.

[elkfersupper]

Doing all of that, plus cleaning the 1911 while the F-350 is idling outside. 7.3L - lord love a duck!

[Daffynition]

All set here.

[NCDave]

LOL..I am doing much the same...I am trying to get my meter to spin fast enough that it travels back in time...when I lose all power, I figure it has worked....

[Hunton Peck]

...the annual event that turns off lights as a statement for cleaner energy...

Is that what it's about this year? Last year it was about Climate Change, the year before that, Global Warming, before that, saving polar bears, and I forget what before that.

But I guess it morphs to suit each year's Crisis of the Millennium, or whatever 0bama's current talking point is. Cool how that happens...

[Shadowstrike]

Oh man! I forgot tonight was Liberal lights out, now I gotta be sure more of my lights are on. ;)

[kempster]

I wanted to help but I was so busy typing on my computer, watching TV and barbequing that I just plain forgot. Oh well, maybe next year.

[GreatRoad]

I didn’t even know about this - my lights, TV and computers; ON all evening into night and still on. Thank you very much.

[mountn man]

[Jack Hydrazine]

Let's dedicate Human Achievement Hour to Nikola Tesla who invented alternating current (AC) by keeping all the lights on for an hour!

[TYVets]

I would like to see one day of each month designated as Earth Hour.

The company where I bought my portable fossil fuel powered generators say " they should be started at least once a month and run for about 30 minutes under a load".

I forget to do this, but if only Earth Hour were once a month, I would get them up and running like they are rat now to power spot lights pointed skyward.

I am so unPC that I use 100% gasoline in them, no ethanol to screw up the fuel system for my babies.

[TYVets]

Bull Shoals Dam in Northern Arkansas is has not dropped off producing power.

http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/plots/WEB/bul.htm

Still waiting and watching.

[NCDave]

DUDE!! Are you sucking in 1.21 jigawatts??? lol...

[vandy]

Wow, I guess I missed the whole thing...haha.

[Inyo-Mono]

TV, lights, speaker system, computers, AC all cranking.

Doing all of that except for the AC, got the heater cranked here, weather service says it will snow here tonight.

[mountn man]

[Army Air Corps]

Human Achievement Hour. I like the sound of that.

[mountn man]

1.21 gigwatts???

[Gasshog]

TV, lights, speaker system, computers, AC all cranking.

+1 - stereo blaring too - long live coal!

[hecticskeptic]

Like most States and Provinces, you can watch what the electrical demand looks like hour by hour. Here in Ontario, they update their chart every 15 minutes. From what I can see, Human Achievement hour won out because in the 8:30 to 9:30 pm timeslot, the demand curve is slightly higher than the predicted curve. Chalk one up to Human Achievement.http://www.ieso.ca/imoweb/siteShared/demand_price.asp?sid=md

[Not gonna take it anymore]

I’m participating.

I have the downstairs lighter and brighter than usual. ;-0)

[matt04]

Found the graph for CT. Looks like Human Achievement Hour won over Earth Hour.

[fidelis]

Hey, I turned my lights out for an hour today. It was 12 noon to 1 pm, but they were out...

[funfan]

On.

[funfan]

On.

[ThunderSleeps]

I ignored Earth hour. I was too busy cleaning out and reorganizing my pantry for increased food storage in case of disaster - natural or man-made. Now I’ve got to go clean a few tools after having spent the morning exercising my 2nd Amendment rights.

[ThunderSleeps]

Me too - West Side Story on in the background.

[Kharis13]

My wife and I spent the hour doing the wild thing, so we could hopefully make more little conservatives. And just to drive the libs crazy, we did it with the lights on.

[freedumb2003]

T
M
I
!!!!!

[hecticskeptic]

Definitely the winner of the “what is the best thing to be doing during Human Achievement hour” contest....

[Publius6961]

I didn't visit the HAH web page yesterday, but I had a thoroughly good time.

Anybody got the link to the web page where I can check the space pic and how bright my house looked?