Earth Hour Launched - Brace yourselves for 28 March

Perhaps it is because of the higher level of education in this town that people are more inclined to seek out all of the evidence, both for and against, and form their own conclusions, rather than just swallow the media hype.

Higher than what?

imhotep: In a town as well-educated as Canberra I am constantly surprised to see all the climate change skeptics on the RiotAct.

Perhaps it is because of the higher level of education in this town that people are more inclined to seek out all of the evidence, both for and against, and form their own conclusions, rather than just swallow the media hype.

Personally I would expect a higher education level to result in more scepticism about most things. Don’t forget that there was a time when the generally-held belief was that the Earth was flat or the centre of the universe. It was scepticism and inquiry that proved those theories to be wrong, and it would be worthwhile remembering that Anthropogenic Global Warming is just another theory which needs to be held to the same level of scrutiny.

peterh said :

johnboy said :

They take in minced up trees, cover them in poison, wrap them in plastic, and then distribute them in the tens of thousands every day only for them to be put in the garbage the next day.

at least they don’t pour it in a cup, and try to call it “coffee”.

No the cafe in my building has that angle covered I think…

“There is more direct evidence for climate change than there is for evolution. Why do people not believe it?”

Oh I don’t for a second doubt that climate change exists, I do not, however believe that it is a result of the human race.

And at the very top – the airport!

I’d say large scale builders like Leighton Holdings are pretty tough on the environment.

Newspapers are at least recyclable – altho the plastic is a bit excessive.

Morgan said :

(Morgan)”If people really cared about climate change they would buy less clothes, be vegetarian (or eat only Kangaroo, walk/bus to work, etc.”

…They would also learn to use less power, switch off unnecessary lights, etc, thus reducing base-load on the grid. Earth Hour is about changing behaviour, not saving a bit of power on the day.

In a town as well-educated as Canberra I am constantly surprised to see all the climate change skeptics on the RiotAct. Do people really believe all the climate scientists working at ANU, the CSIRO and elsewhere are stupid, or somehow locked-up in some Gore/liberal conspiracy?

Sure, there is a (very) few scientists around the world making a career out of climate change denial. Just as Creationists can always find a biologist or two, (and even more incredibly, some geologists,) to claim that the world is only 10,000 years old. Yet any sensible person accepts the reality of evolution.

There is more direct evidence for climate change than there is for evolution. Why do people not believe it?

.

If you think about it carefully, Fossil fuel electricity is generated by Coal fired power stations that churn out the same amount of power all the time, they can’t be turned down for such a small window as one hour.

Earth hour therefore saves no power at all, it is all simply wasted. Thats why the electric company gives you a discount for using off peak power to make hot water, they want to get rid of this wasted capacity. That is also the reason why large buildings are charged on their peak load, not actual kilowatts consumed.

If people really cared about climate change they would buy less clothes, be vegetarian (or eat only Kangaroo, walk/bus to work, etc. But we dont care so there you go.

OK. ActewAGL, ashamed of providing the Canberra community with the fossil electricity it wants decides to go 100% renewable. Total economic collapse. Electricity charges alone 2 to 3 times higher and then the flow on effect as every service that involves the use of electricity raises prices. Token efforts are made like feed-in tariffs for solar electricity and most of us just have to grin and bear it as we pay for the square badges of greenness worn on the roofs of smug solar investors.

LOL.

johnboy said :

Also Chewy think about what it is the CT does,

They take in minced up trees, cover them in poison, wrap them in plastic, and then distribute them in the tens of thousands every day only for them to be put in the garbage the next day.

at least they don’t pour it in a cup, and try to call it “coffee”.

Here was me thinking I was the only one realistic on this ineffectual lip service.

Also Chewy think about what it is the CT does,

They take in minced up trees, cover them in poison, wrap them in plastic, and then distribute them in the tens of thousands every day only for them to be put in the garbage the next day.

Businesses, Chewy. Businesses.

I know it’s a bid hard for Canberrans to get their heads around the concept of private enterprise and reward for effort rather promotion for time served and no accountability, but… businesses.

Wow a feel good event they are promoting in Canberra that won’t actually achieve anything? Never!!

“A thought occurs… can readers name any businesses in Canberra that are bigger polluters or consumers of environmental resources than ActewAGL and The Canberra Times?”

Canberra Times wouldn’t even be close to the top.

Parliament House would be my top pick, and by a long way.

i have a couple of clients who will be leaving their server room lights on.

A thought occurs… can readers name any businesses in Canberra that are bigger polluters or consumers of environmental resources than ActewAGL and The Canberra Times?

what about hansel and gretel’s coffee burning, every day?
ACT govt – the big waste incinerators out at mitchell for act health? or the suburb in gungahlin with street lights, but no houses?

will they be turning off the airport lights for an hour? I would like to see that.

doubt the airport would.

I’m doing my bit to ruin the planet – I don’t want the ungrateful future generations to enjoy themselves too much.

./~ … highway to the danger zone… ./~

./~ gonna take it right into the danger zone… ./~

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Did you come up with that yourself?

Nope… it has been used around these parts and elsewhere before.

LaLa said :

Earth Hour is actually about generating awareness, but you know, why bloody bother?

Earth Hour generates wonderful awareness about Earth Hour, but I am yet to meet a single person who changed their ways as a result of EH “enlightening” them. It’s not like we’re short on other promotions for energy conservation, is it?

LaLa said :

Wow. I didn’t know there were so many cynical people in Canberra.
Earth Hour is actually about generating awareness, but you know, why bloody bother?

Yes, but we as individuals can only do so much. I know the saying, that “one person can make a difference” and whilst that may be true to a degree, it certainly helps if that one person is say the CEO of BHP.

Gorebull Warming

Ha! Ha ha ha! Wow, that’s great. Did you come up with that yourself? Because it’s very, very clever. Just…wow.

Oh, and Earth Hour is bullsh.t. It’s like trying to promote awareness about water use by telling people not to turn on the laundry tap for an hour one day a year.

Thanks for the notice….now I know what night to turn more lights and appliances on.

Kramer said :

… awareness of energy usage and global warming.

Cue the violins… Trot out all the Gorebull Warming apologists.

where’s toad?

Kramer, how about falsehood: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1892855.htm
Do as the promoters say, but don’t declare it: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2210314.htm
And reporting things which haven’t happened yet: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2210313.htm

Will that do for starters?

I did have a slightly hilarious conversation last year with a person who turned off all their lights then filled the house with candles…… they just couldn’t get their heads around the idea that the energy expenditure involved in manufacturing the candles + the burning of the candles themselves might just negate the point of turning off their lights. It was a bit like drinking beer to save water.

Jakez – BS! What falsehoods? Don’t give me your impressions or opinions – I want quotes and links to prove your claimed “falsehoods”.

Which Roman emperor supposedly lit the gardens of his palace with burning Christians? Can we try that trick with hippie comms when the lights go off for earth hour?

LaLa said :

Wow. I didn’t know there were so many cynical people in Canberra.
Earth Hour is actually about generating awareness, but you know, why bloody bother?

That is all well and good Lala however I object to the falsehoods that are used to promote it.

LaLa is right its about awareness of energy usage and global warming.

You should consider what energy using devices you have in your house, and evaluate whether they could be replaced with more efficient items, or used in a better manner.

I’ll personally excuse any of you nay-sayers from participating in Earth Hour this year if you only have CFL globes installed in all light fittings in your home. (Next year I’ll be asking for solar panels 🙂

Awareness through spectacular hypocrisy.

Wow. I didn’t know there were so many cynical people in Canberra.
Earth Hour is actually about generating awareness, but you know, why bloody bother?

The CT lost all credibility with their 10 page pull out magazine advertising last year’s event. It’s all posturing and did someone say “band wagon?”

Yep, total waste of time, I reckon.

I’d love for it to be a hot night, and walk around the inner city streets as people turn off their light bulbs and leave their aircon cranking.

Earth Hour’s a farce.

They also spend all these resources and energy advertising and building the profile of it, that the event kind of cancels itself out.

It’s the biggest con ever, lets assume that they have one a year, and that they got 100% of the world to participate and switch off everything electrical, it would reduce green house gases by 0.012%, and this is an optimistic figure. Furthermore it is at a time when industry has usually switched off their machinery, therefore the actual affect of earth hour is significantly less.

Also lest we forget that lets assume that every house on average use 5 100W light blubs at any one time. Turning them all off for an hour has the same effect as me leaving my heater off for 15 minutes.

It’s the ultimate in both an empty gesture and a guilt trip at once.

How about we do things like globally mandating minimum amounts of energy from renewable sources, forcing polluting industries to research and implement cleaner methods (none of this carbon trading BS) making public transport a much more viable alternative, so that it’s easier than taking a car (and not by closing parking spaces).

These are all things which can be done which will really make an impact, anything else is verbal masturbation