EarthHour

Astro, honest question, why do you keep referring to it as “erf hour”???

Pandy said :

Portly!!!!!!!!

Geez you don’t score if you are portly, even when you drive a Merc!!!!

Fyshwick doesn’t count as scoring, Pandy.

i trust the fuel for the fire was a barrel of lovely saudi oil and a faggot of wood from a carbon-sink rainforest, toad.

and taco, why are you opposed to erf hour? even the heaving pile of muck-raking toad is [almost] civil enough to allow the more enlightened of us to carry on saving his planet. what, exactly, do you do, in oposition to this?

…and it isn’t ‘pointless’. it may, to you, be futile, ineffective, vapid, nugatroy or abortive, but it certainly has a stated point, which i outlined in #2 above… if you’re going to cast aspersions, have at least some logical semantic basis for them.

Why don’t all the Government buildings turn all their lights off after hours anyway.

I don’t know about the Feds, but ACT Gov office buildings have lights that auto-off during afterhours/weekends. Blame cleaners or people working overtime if you see the lights on in one of those buildings…

“What about “Switch to CFL or LED lighting day” “Install a solar panel week”? That’d have a meaningful and lasting effect.”

Yeah, but then all these sanctimonious wankers would have to actually, y’know, DO SOMETHING!!

I am all for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, even if I’m not convinced that global warming is 100% man-made, I don’t doubt that we are accelerating the change, and I like pollution free air (which luckily Canberra generally has plenty of).

That said, I am opposed to Earth Hour. It’s a pointless exercise that causes more environmental damage than it saves – manufacturing candles, burning them, people driving to events, printing flyers, running the website etc

What about “Switch to CFL or LED lighting day” “Install a solar panel week”? That’d have a meaningful and lasting effect.

Earth hour is a sanctimonious wank for those seeking an extra load of feel good smugness. But, if that’s what floats your boat, then go ahead.

But please don’t moralise at me about symbolic gestures to raise awareness about global warming (or climate change when it’s cooling). Or tell me your symbolic gesture actually does anything for the environment.

I turned lights ON, then lit a fire.

I turned off my lights, however my plasma screen tv had no problems illuminating my room while watching the AFL. Probably heated it too! Good ol symbolic gestures!

great point, crikey. always wondered at that. tho my work’s lights switch themselves off at 6pm, always a nice sign to get out like i shoulda an hour ago!

and i saw that wwf figure, too, thump. from what i saw wandering ainslie/dicskon, must have had 100% participation in tuggeranong and gunghalin (clearly not in red hill, eh pandy?)… then again, don’t they say 82.45% of stats are made up on the spot?

I did nothing different.

Why don’t all the Government buildings turn all their lights off after hours anyway.

Me too. I usually run one light maximum, and if I’m just watching TV or laptopping (or both) then there’s plenty of light from those two. Power out here costs a motz (“rural residential” means you PAY).

I too was business as usual. I turn off the lights I’m not using because it affects my power bill. The rest is academic.

Portly!!!!!!!! Geez you don’t score if you are portly, even when you drive a Merc!!!!

What I have learned is that people like Pandy only change when a problem affects their life. Maybe one day Pandy will get skin cancer, or Pandy’s child will suffer an asthma fit, or the precious lawn shrivels up and dies because there’s not enough water. Pandy’s world encompasses about two feet beyond Pandy’s portly belly. It’s a arrogant way to live but Pandy enjoys it and that’s what matters most.

I’m well aware of the problem. I don’t need to *symbolically* do anything, and others doing it didn’t make me any more aware than I already am.
I’m not for or against anyone who participated or otherwise. Whatever.

We could have probably closed down all the coal-power stations and built clean power plants (whether or not the *best* kind) by now and all be driving electric sportscars / hummers and hosing down our driveways with endless “green” de-salinated water if money wasn’t an objective.

It’s kind of like, an all-life-on-earth ending astroid is heading towards us and we all die cos the solution was possible, but too expensive!

*hippy dream ends*

eh_steve said :

ant said :

When was that photo taken? Last night!

Erm, was there a storm last night in Braidwood?

Nope, that was the top of the storms that went across Sydney. You see some amazing weather out here. There was another 2 to the right, that were around B-Bay, and south of that. All strobing away busily.

Kraemer yes.

Did someone mention Hummers?

http://www.purecaffeine.com/2008/03/vikings-club-hummer-give-away/

Crankey if you are getting water it is coming from somewhere and is probably not ground water due to the drought. Check your hot water heater if it is gas and over 8 years old them it has probably had it. Check your water meter if it is clicking over then there is a leak somewhere.

If the house was built in 1974 or there abouts then the alcheapo Brazilian copper piping has had it. Darwin is full of this stuff along with Morwell in Victoria. Generally any large housing development built in the early seventies will suffer from this and it is very expensive to fix.

If we can manage to fix the climate,water and energy I think it will be achieved on a community basis rather than the smoke and mirrors of international Kyoto type summits. This is where significant environment successes are normally achieved.

Duke – when you are ready for some real fun on your mountain bike check out CORC – Canberra Off-Road Cyclists.

My wife and I put the kids to bed early, got some yummy takeaway, turned off the TV, computers & lights, and had a very nice candle lit dinner. I vote for earth hour every weekend!

Pandy – So you don’t like the gesture of earth hour, but you do run compact fluorescent light globes? have insulation in your house? walk short distances instead of driving??

Ruth – the bikes are an excellent idea, pity tho it’s just getting cold in Canberra. Bought a mountain bike a few months ago so I could leave the falcon at home – the major side effect is you get really fit and wind up with perky buns – buns of steel baybee!

And I also save money by not calling a plumber – I just put a bucket under the dripping shower and use that to water my plants.

Got an underground water problem. Dumps about 30 litres/hour onto/under my property.

Capture it, and pump into a tank.

Cost to pump it from sump to tank? Cost to pump it to the garden?

Not to sure this system is real green.

But I can hose my driveway with impunity.

This will fizzle out just like “Clean up Australia”.

Oh I hose down my patio legally every Sunday.

Well said astrojax (Comment #2).

My household is already taking active measures to reduce our environmental impact. We’re currently participating in a months-long energy challenge to reduce our power consumption as well as investigating other methods for reducing our environmental (such as riding our bikes for grocery shopping etc).

I have no other explanation for this thread than Pandy’s account has been hacked – it doesn’t make sense.

And yes, I too was one of those “fools”; well actually a hybrid lighting mix of candles and torches 🙂

It is symbolic, it is about awareness. And Pandy isn’t the only one who doesn’t get it … I’ve been reading articles where people have even complained about the CO2 emissions created by the Earth Hour website!!

*deletes several draft ranty paras and leaves it there*

My take on earth hour is that it is a consciousness-raising exercise.

Participation in it shows the the community, the politicians and climate change deniers that MANY people acknowledge that we do face serious problems. Nobody ever claimed that it was anything other than symbolic.

Viewed in that light, I think it’s a great idea.

.

I was at a well-lit Canberra stadium to watch the Raiders beat the Dragons. So turns out the lights at my house were off during Earth Hour… I have to say if I’d been home it might have been a different story.

I think everyone agrees it is a symbolic gesture… if that’s admitted, surely people can accept that not participating in a symbolic gesture that has no practical effect doesn’t mean that person is against being environmentally friendly.

My wife and I already take steps to reduce our environmental impact, and we’d happily participate in community-wide efforts that actually achieve something.

Yawn, Pandy is boring.

Well we turned off the lights, the TV and computer and played monopoly by candlelight. It’s nice to know that the majority of Australians care about global warming and the future of the planet.

What a rebel you are

Got to go outside and hose down the back patio and place another load in to the dryer.

Pandy; ‘When the govco turns of the lights on every national institution EVERY nite, then I’ll take notice.’

Yeah, great attitude that. It’s like saying when every driver on the road stops being a d*ckhead, I’ll stop being a d*ickhead.

.

ant said :

When was that photo taken? Last night!

Erm, was there a storm last night in Braidwood?

Why not? Hate it being shoved down my throat like you feel gooders. And the thing with the candles is right.

When the govco turns of the lights on every national institution EVERY nite, then I’ll take notice.

Pandy; ‘What shitted me is all those fools who used candles’

He’s just trolling I’m sure, but;

What shitts me is all those who are arrogant enough to think that the state of the planet doesn’t affect them, like the OP.

EVERYONE knows that earth hour is just symbolic, a communal gesture of concern. If you don’t want to do it, fine, but I wouldn’t brag about it.

Aeek said :

If I’d remembered I’d have turned of my fluros and made do with the light of the TV and computer.

That’s what I usually do, actually. Only need a light on if I’m doing other stuff.

If I’d remembered I’d have turned of my fluros and made do with the light of the TV and computer.

see pandy, that is the attitude the symbolism of erf hour is trying to extinguish – “i’m so rich i don’t have to give a fark what anyone else thinks”… well fark off to your own little planet then, dollarboy, or else have some respect for the society that allowed you to accrue that comfort.

it isn’t about you being able, monetarily, to afford to consume power services that generate huge plumes of ghg’s – it’s about us, as a society including you, being able to minimise the ghg’s we pump into the atmosphere and fark up the planet for your grandkids.

and when it is pointed out you missed the point, you blithely turn away and smirk. noice.

i’d have thought you would have a hummer, no?

There’s a dark valley between Queanbeyan and Bungendore… well it used to be dark. Then the previous gov’t decided (inexplicably) that the marginal electorate would Vote Liberal if they decided to build the new defence HQ out there. So they did. It’s still being built, and every night, looks like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v105/EmuBobOz/29mar08007small.jpg

When was that photo taken? Last night!

Lights blazing every night, lines of street lights from teh King’s Highway and right around it, and no one is there.

Environmentally, having it out there is a shocker. Most people who work there will live in Canberra, according to Defence’s planning. 400-odd people driving out and back every day.

Bloody nice day for a drive, too 😀

Ahhh beautiful Canberra day out there, might head outside and give the driveway a good hosing!

Beeswax candles are fine … apparently.

Pandy: so then, you’re thinking of nobody but yourself in retirement. Do you have grandkids?

Ahh tell that to the burghers of Red Hill, O’Malley and Forrest.

Good on ya for being deluded Duke. I gotta get in my merc right now and held off for a latte at Manuka

Pandy you will be glad to know that I turned all my lights off and did not use candles either (sat in dark).

I agree it is simply a gesture, but gestures can be important.

I think you meant living in the dark ages, not middle ages Pandy – based on your comments it doesn’t appear you’ve quite made that evolutionary leap just yet.

But well done on being wealthy and paying off your morgage, now in your dotage you can practice being a little less grizzled.

As I said: per normal. I am rich enough to keep on all of my lights when it suits me. I seek to be comfortable in my middle ages with what my mortgage paid off.

Oh I was also using the dryer to get rid of the lint and hair of my trousers.

What shitted me is all those fools who used candles.

i rekkun you’ll find that those who participated in erf hour endured a reduced level of lighting, so i’m not sure it is appropriate to label them ‘fools’ or to suggest they increaded their ghg emissions.

the point of erf hour was not to save the planet in a single hour – it was avowed symbolism. just as the PM standing up in parrliament and apologosing to australia’s indigenous population for past government errors and crimes does nothing in itself to alleviate the current plight of indigenous australians, erf hour is not going to have a measurable effect on ghg emissions.

but, the symbolism of the event is intended to have people who either participate or are at least aware of the event become more conscious of the role they play in the cycle. just as today we read of a growth in emissions from the transport sector – yes, your car and mine included – the point is to get people stopping, to think of their own actions, not just rail at a truck spewing clouds of exhaust fumes and pointing their finger at them, rather, to think about the broader issues and the role they can participate through in achieving tangible results. it is issue-raising in in the social consciousness, which will deliver a greater acceptance in future policies that affect both ghg emissions and my social behaviours.

hands up how many people think about their water usage differently now, to say, ten or twenty years ago? who would have even twinged at watching someone hose down a concrete drive for twenty minutes twenty years ago and who now might even take the initiative to go speak to the hoser and seek the cessation of their water wastage? social consciousness is a powerful thing and it is instantiated through symbols, among other means…

as it happens, i chose to switch off all non-essential powered devices and went for a walk in the brisk evening air with the hound and better half. so my own emissions in that hour were reduced and were kept below usual levels for the remainder of the evening.

i should ask, why do you need to keep ‘all’ of your lights on, pandy? surely you could lower your service costs – and so find a financial benefit – in limiting the lights you actually have on at a given time?

Nice attitude Pandy. Earth Hour is a completely token gesture I agree, but nothing wrong with doing your bit for the environment every now and then, regardless of your feelings on climate change.