ARE YOU GETTING READY TO TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS?

[FourScore]

VOTE EARTH
YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

http://www.earthhour.org/about/

[G_j]

1. yes nt

[bbinacan]

2. No, the NCAA is on. n/t

[taterguy]

21. The Earth is more is more important than some stupid jocks

[bbinacan]

26. A one hour display

is just plain silly. How much energy will really be conserved?

[taterguy]

27. Enough to save the frickin planet

Unless people are too selfish to actually participate

[bbinacan]

29. ya think tater? n/t

[bbinacan]

31. Then why are you still

using your computer and why didn't DU take their servers offline if this is so damned important? Nova 54 Pitt 55.

[dem629]

46. You should do it for 20 hours per day.

Then you'd feel REALLY great!

[dem629]

45. LOL. You did nothing for the Earth by turning your lights off.

[rufus dog]

34. understand your constraint

the game is too good! No more electricity for you all night once the game is over.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Lights off - but teevee stays on...

We've got basketball games.

[FourScore]

5. No ones askin' for perfection.

Least of all me! My husband has already said that the TV will stay on here as well.

[BlooInBloo]

9. :)

[onefreespiritedchick]

30. Ain't that the truth :) n/t

[Bluzmann57]

4. At 8:30

It ain't 8:30 yet.

[NightWatcher]

6. lights off, laptop on

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. Ditto.

[LiberalFighter]

7. Does using CFL's qualify?

[shadowknows69]

8. I have some stuff to do which requires illumination

Does it count if we have energy star bulbs in all our lights?

[FourScore]

11. Just do what you can.

[ceile]

10. Yes, but tv, no.

I know I'm a loser. But it'll give me a chance to enjoy for the first time this really cool wall-hanging, candle-holder thingy. Better than a dinner party excuse, if you ask me.

[G_j]

13. yep, good excuse to light a candle!

[C......N......C]

12. There are very serious consequences if enough people did turn

their lights off and on at the same time. Turning off would produce an incredible back surge that could blow transformers. And turning on could create an apparent short circuit that would cause an infinitely high current spike that could also blow transformers and trip breakers. This is not opinion, it is fact.

[shadowknows69]

14. Cool. All the more reason. Damn the man.

[C......N......C]

20. There was a movie about West Point where a cadet arranged for all

the students to turn there water on and then off at the same time. He was in a parade ground with his arm raised ready to drop to give the signal to turn the water off. Officers cam by, asked him why his arm was up. Then the told him to put his arm down and it blew up all the water mains. Drenching him and the officers. Needly funny.

[spindrifter]

16. It doesn't seem to have happened in Europe, where

they've already done Earth Hour.

[C......N......C]

23. I know. I said it would take a lot at once to do it.

[Uben]

18. A/C units, ranges, refrigerators, maybe

lights, no. They don't draw enough amps.

[C......N......C]

24. Millions of lights would.

[Uben]

25. No way

The grid is controlled by thousands of different power plants. We'll find out who is telling the truth in one hour.

[C......N......C]

28. Slow down. I was just making a technical comment, not a political statement.

[BlooInBloo]

35. Really? Infinite current? Really? "it is a fact"?

Or is it a fact that short circuit current is Thévenin-limited?

And it's not like big-ticket items like refrigerators are being shut off everywhere simultaneously. Hell - not even all the lights'll go out. I'd be surprised if 10% of lights go out at a relevant time.

[C......N......C]

36. Ah BlooInBloo. Yes, when a switch is turned on the current starts

to spike toward infinity until the internal resistance matches the current build to the applied voltage. That is why they have capacitors. Any appliance at rest appears as a short circuit to applied voltage until resistance builds due to current build.

[C......N......C]

37. E=IR At the moment the switch is turned on the resistance is zero until the current builds.

If the resistance is zero then the current would have to be infinity to equal the voltage.

[flvegan]

15. No.

Got too much going on here tonight to do so.

I do my part to the nth degree every day that I can, so I'm not unhappy about not participating.

I'm glad so many other folks are, and I hope the event is successful.

[FourScore]

17. gotta go. Earth hour. n/t

[eleny]

19. Two hours to go and no clouds in the sky

I'm hoping for more visible stars here west of Denver.

[lonestarnot]

32. Only 6:11 pm here.

[kestrel91316]

33. Couple of hours to go.

[lib2DaBone]

38. Liights off here.... feels good.... only 5 minutes to go.. going to leave them off..

[AndrewP]

39. I'm sorry. No. We need the emergency lights to protect our dikes in Fargo.

We need full light and protection of the integrity of our dikes to make sure they don't break.

I'm sorry. I really do agree and support this idea. I just can't tonight.

Good luck everyone!

[WolverineDG]

40. Ed Norton just said "non-essential lights"

which is what I figured this was about anyway. Hang tight! I hope all goes well in Fargo! They did say on the news today that the water would be going down gradually. I hope that's true. :)

dg

[lonestarnot]

41. One more hour.

[bikebloke]

42. I was probably the only one here.

Across the river, Georgetown was lit as usual.

[Upton]

43. Sorry...but the Sharks game is on now

therefore, I decline to participate.

[dem629]

44. Didn't do it. It was just symbolic and meaningless.

[omega minimo]

48. you have just disempowered yourself.

[Blue_Tires]

47. i did it...i only had 2 essential on

but i usually don't have a lot of lights on in the house anyway (big house) so all i had to do was turn off the TV and one other light...

[No.23]

49. Lights about to go in 5 minutes here.

See y'all in about an hour.

[Norrin Radd]

50. Yep. Though mine are usually out -- old skool goth.

Apparently, no one in my gentrified neighborhood gives a shit, from looking out the window.