Earth Hour

[devilsknight]

Originally Posted by soundwaveCA

I'm sorry I do enough to help the environment in my day to day life, I really don't need to be told to turn the lights out for an hour so I can feel extra special about myself and feel like I'm doing something.

The problem I have with events like this is I think it really creates the allusion of we actually do something and care about the environment. Sure we promote something like this and turn off the lights for an hour and we feel all warm and fuzzy inside but most people are back to not caring the next day. So if people really care about the environment they should be making a few lifestyle changes instead whether it's switching to a more fuel efficient vehicle or finding ways to reduce waist and recycling or whatever.

Considering your comments have nothing to do what so ever with the purpose of Earth Hour it has left me scratching my head...do you know why it was started in the first place ?

The purpose of earth hour is to protest the lack of action of our governments in protecting the environment. That if the governing body of a country won't change, then you should exercise your right to protest...in this case turning your lights off. If people are doing it to show they care even for a day then that's cool too.

Like or not those who participate are doing something, and so far the numbers are rising...brushing it off as a individual event, is not how it should be looked at. How often does one small effort like opening a door inspire others to do the same ? If you think small things coming together dont account for the bigger picture, you need to buy a puzzle.

Day to day things count as well, and all the power to those who have made lifestyle changes on top of the event. How is their small effort any different than an individual participating in Earth Hour ? By your account above their efforts are just as wasted because in your words individual efforts are a waste of time ??! I'd disagree.

@Onecoin

When the power is restored after the one hour on a large scale grid which is still in production it would probably cause a 3 to 4 min spike hardly worth anyones time or worry. If the entire grid was offline maybe it would, but not for something like this. If they saved 450 megawatts of power, do you really think it takes 450 megawatts to get the grid back online and at normal ? No, it's more like 20 megawatts probably.

[bluefrenzy]

The sad thing is that last year, in Calgary, the power consumption went UP during Earth Hour ... why? Flames game.

Don't forget Earth Hour is meant to send a message that one person can make an impact --> so even if you didn't participate, there are things you do for the other 8764hours in a year to change. Then as a collective whole a greater impact will be felt.

I agree with Devilsknight in that the government (federal, provincial and municipal) needs to take some leadership. Unfortunately, it's all about money so big greedy corporations aren't going to change their practices (oil, vehicle, electricity companies). I do like the ideas that Obama and California are presenting though. What I find humourous are the bone-heads that freaked out over the wind turbine at the in Toronto. What's even more disturbing is that people who are so against wind farms are for generating electricity the old unsustainable way by burning coal/oil/gas. Remember the super blackout we had in Toronto ... that just shows how reliant we are on the electricity monopoly.

For example, if every house was outfitted with a small wind generator (about the size of a laser printer) and solar panels, it would cut the electricity bill by approximately half (obviously depending on your consumption). But at the moment cost and government redtape are prohibitive. The electricity company DOESN'T want you to do it because that'll cut into their bottom line. But those hydro corporate guys are smart --> they've jumped on to the GREEN bandwagon and they'll now lease you a turbine or solar panels so you can have the privelage of generating power at an equivalent or higher cost than it would for regular electricity (no rebate if you feed back to the grid, I think).

[bluefrenzy]

Oh I forgot --> if you guys have time, go buy Survivorman Les Stroud's documentary "Off the Grid". It documents his family "going off" the electricity grid. Pretty good. I think sometime its shown on OLN too.

[Beechy]

Originally Posted by devilsknight

No, it's more like 20 megawatts probably.

Would that be enough to power my Flux Capacitor?

[bluefrenzy]

Originally Posted by Beechy

Would that be enough to power my Flux Capacitor?

Just hook it up to the Mr Fusion. I find that a few banana peels will be enough (might have to turn off the stereo though)

[devilsknight]

Originally Posted by Beechy

Would that be enough to power my Flux Capacitor?

I thought that was 1.1 jigawatts ?!

EDIT: Or Mr. Fusion works nicely too.

[Beechy]

1.21 actually.

[Beechy]

Maybe next year we can get together to do this, and be like honda....

http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?new...VudGh1c2lhc3Q=

[onecoin]

Originally Posted by devilsknight

@Onecoin

When the power is restored after the one hour on a large scale grid which is still in production it would probably cause a 3 to 4 min spike hardly worth anyones time or worry. If the entire grid was offline maybe it would, but not for something like this. If they saved 450 megawatts of power, do you really think it takes 450 megawatts to get the grid back online and at normal ? No, it's more like 20 megawatts probably.

You're only considering the raw electricity. Not the productivity from the electricity. Turning off electricity means stopping work and logistic expectations don't change when the electricity goes out.

[astrana]

Originally Posted by onecoin

You're only considering the raw electricity. Not the productivity from the electricity. Turning off electricity means stopping work and logistic expectations don't change when the electricity goes out.

The real question is, Will it run Crisis