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The whole idea of Earth Hour is not too bright
National Post ^ | March 22, 2013 | Bjørn Lomborg

Posted on 03/22/2013 12:58:20 PM PDT by Squawk 8888

On the evening of March 23, 1.3 billion people will go without light at 8:30 — and at 9:30, and at 10:30 — and for the rest of the night, just like they do every other night of the year. With no access to electricity, darkness after sunset is a constant reality for these people.

At the same time, another one billion people will participate in “Earth Hour” by turning off their lights from 8:30-9:30.

The organizers say that they are providing a way to demonstrate one’s desire to “do something” about global warming. But the reality is that Earth Hour teaches all the wrong lessens, and it actually increases CO2 emissions. Its vain symbolism reveals exactly what is wrong with today’s feel-good environmentalism.

Earth Hour teaches us that tackling global warming is easy. Yet, by switching off the lights, all we are doing is making it harder to see.

Notice that you have not been asked to switch off anything really inconvenient, like your heating or air-conditioning, television, computer, mobile phone or any of the myriad technologies that depend on affordable, plentiful energy electricity and make modern life possible. If switching off the lights for one hour per year really were beneficial, why would we not do it for the other 8,759?

(Excerpt) Read more at fullcomment.nationalpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
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To: USMCPOP

Lighting the outside of your residence at night makes a lot of very good sense.


21 posted on 03/22/2013 1:35:21 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
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To: USMCPOP

Wasted outdoor lighting also drives astronomers, both amateur and professional, nuts. I remember flying from Toronto to Boston one night. As we passed over Albany, the view to the south, towards New York City was sickening. It was like a tower of light reaching up into the sky. Las Vegas is not nearly as impressive from 150 miles away.


22 posted on 03/22/2013 1:45:45 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (What word begins with "O" and ends in economic collapse?)
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To: b4its2late

Yup, me too. It is great fun to turn on every electric unit in the house and then go outside to see the meter spinning so fast that it is a blur. Not for too long though!


23 posted on 03/22/2013 1:47:21 PM PDT by BatGuano (You don't think I'd go into combat with loose change in my pocket, do ya?)
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To: Squawk 8888

About as bright as daylight savings time.


24 posted on 03/22/2013 1:48:32 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: beelzepug

Spring started two days ago.


25 posted on 03/22/2013 2:04:23 PM PDT by 1raider1
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To: Squawk 8888

Our tradition is to turn on all the lights in the house for that hour. One night we were up late packing etc. for a move and had a lot of the lights on in the house. Our daughter came homeand said “Is it “turn all your lights on night again?” :)


26 posted on 03/22/2013 2:07:36 PM PDT by mrsloungitude ( USMC Mom)
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To: USMCPOP

Leaving outside lights on is a cheap and effective crime prevention measure. Especially in areas where there are no streetlights. Many HOAs request that homeowners do it.


27 posted on 03/22/2013 2:08:07 PM PDT by 1raider1
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To: Fast Moving Angel

LOL they will be using their flashlight apps on their smart phones to see where they’re going.


28 posted on 03/22/2013 2:10:33 PM PDT by DManA
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To: grobdriver
We're going to look like Las Vegas.
Maybe brighter.

Apparently, Las Vegas is going along with this nonsense. I heard the LV radio station that carries Rush (KXNT?) talking about it this morning.

29 posted on 03/22/2013 2:17:03 PM PDT by Bob
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To: beelzepug

Be aware that unless you live in Florida or South Texas or something, incandescent lighting in the winter is essentially free (or more truthfully, really cheap) assuming there’s no heat wave in the upper latitudes.

What honks off the greenies about incandescents is that only about 5% of the energy that goes into them comes out as light - the remaining 95% or so gets converted to heat. In the summer, that heat is waste heat - wasted energy. But in the winter, any heat emanating from your light bulbs is heat that you don’t have to supply from your furnace or gas stove or whatever. In the winter, it’s not wasted. Does it make a whole lot of difference? no, not really.

But neither does turning off one’s lights for Earth Day. If those pinheads really wanted to save some energy, they should try to talk people into turning off their lights in the middle of August. But even then, it’s an exercise in stupidity - the utility companies have to keep their turbines spinning for the inevibable surge after the moronic Earth Hour is over, and you can’t torque those things up instantaneously.


30 posted on 03/22/2013 2:58:52 PM PDT by Stosh
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To: 1raider1; Stosh

I’m up here in NW Washington. Yesterday it was snowing only about 25 miles from me. Spring comes when it feels like it. Since our legislature decided a few years back that hydro power was not a renewable resource, power really isn’t that cheap. I guess once water goes through the powerhouse it’s just gone for good. Who knew?


31 posted on 03/22/2013 3:06:37 PM PDT by beelzepug (Telling other people they need to die is a good way to get your own lamp blown out.)
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To: Squawk 8888

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!


32 posted on 03/22/2013 3:13:18 PM PDT by Chad N. Freud (FR is the modern equivalent of the Committees of Correspondence. Let other analogies arise.)
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To: Squawk 8888
I signed the pledge with my company to turn off my lights because if they got 3000 employees to pledge, then they would plant 3000 trees. Always a good idea.

As for my pledge, I'm turning on every light in my house as an anti-crime measure, and I live in a very safe neighborhood.

Back to you, Francis.

33 posted on 03/22/2013 3:40:54 PM PDT by paul in cape
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To: b4its2late
I like to put my halogen work lights out and pointed up, just in case they`re recording from satellite.
34 posted on 03/22/2013 3:49:27 PM PDT by nomad
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To: Squawk 8888
The writer seems to believe that Global Warming is real. Stopped reading at that point.

But the point I would assume he is trying to make, that the fanatic imbeciles making up the bulk of faithful "Greenies" are doing more damage to legitimate conservation and environmental watchfulness, is entirely correct. While CO2 is the bugaboo of these morons it is in truth (fifth grade biology) an inherent part of the carbon cycle which maintains all surface and most ocean life on this planet. The poisons which spew every day from the uncontrolled industries in China and a few other places are not.

The prohibition of the use of DDT has killed and will continue to kill thousands of times more people (yes, I know the fanatics think that's a good thing) than could conceivably croak even if global warming and the scare mongers' insane projections were factual.

So by focusing attention on something which more people every day realize is a hoax for the illiterate and stupid they discredit the entire concept of caring for nature and the environment. I despise them and their moronic prophet Al Gore more for that than any damage they may inflict on my wallet.

35 posted on 03/22/2013 3:53:33 PM PDT by katana (Just my opinions)
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To: Squawk 8888

Typically we light up our house like a Christmas Tree for Earth Hour.

Likewise, we make a point of venting some FREON into the atmosphere on “Earth Day”.

It’s our way of addressing the problems of the world.


36 posted on 03/22/2013 4:03:00 PM PDT by BobL (Look up "CSCOPE" if you want to see something really scary)
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To: BobL

I usually try to burn a brush pile or two for Earth Day. Drought induced burn ban stopped me last year. )^;


37 posted on 03/22/2013 4:07:33 PM PDT by Clay Moore ("In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte)
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To: BobL

38 posted on 03/22/2013 4:10:48 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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To: nascarnation

Sweet, but I assume you know that R12 is more effective at destroying the Ozone layer.


39 posted on 03/22/2013 4:26:32 PM PDT by BobL (Look up "CSCOPE" if you want to see something really scary)
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To: alancarp

Well, I find TV much better if the lights are off.


40 posted on 03/22/2013 4:31:03 PM PDT by Squawk 8888 (True North- Strong Leader, Strong Dollar, Strong and Free!)
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