Earth Hour Update

Go Green tip of the day
Two large power plants have to run constantly to supply enough electricity to run North American TV sets that are turned off. These "power vampires" suck energy while on standby. Plug your TV into a power bar and turn it off when you aren't watching to save about 40 kilowatt hours a year.                               

Toronto Star - visit the archive for more great tips

Some Thoughts for Today

Over 2000 people have signed up since I first visited the Earth Hour website. 9373 now, plus they've moved from 323 businesses to 394.

If you haven't yet signed up, what are you waiting for? You can manage an hour without lights to help  the environment, right?  Course you can!

Keep in mind that it is NOT just about reducing energy use for that hour - an hour, after all, is not THAT big a deal when you figure just how bad the situation is at this point. What's important is that it builds awareness and interest so that hopefully we will all make ongoing changes where we can - and even MORE important, perhaps, it lets governments all around the world know that we - the voters - of their countries, and all around the world - DO CARE.

We ~get~ it, even if they don't - if people don't smarten up, and sooner, rather than later - there won't be any need for a government because there won't be any people to govern.

I can only speak to my own country - but I am embarassed by how slow our government leaders are to actually ~get~ it. They SAY they do ... but talking the talk isn't quite the same as walking the walk.

Signing on to the Kyoto agreement and then not following through - that is just wrong. Did I mention I am embarassed by my own government? Hm... might be another article in that.

Anyway .... 

The Earth Hour 2008 group here on Gather is now at  117 members - we hit 100 in the first 24 hours, which is very cool, I thought ...that's more than all of my other groups combined :)

I'm hoping it will continue to grow... lots of time between now and March 29... I'm sure we can double it at least.....right?

I hope you'll continue to stop by regularly ....and perhaps you'd like to write an article or two - or twenty - about your thoughts on any of the issues? What you're doing to contribute? What response you got when you raised the idea of participating in Earth Hour with your town/city/place of work? What you think of the videos, resources and other tips on the various websites? Need more ideas? I'm sure I can come up with some for you :)

Feel free to scoop the picture if you'd like to use it on any related articles, btw .... Right click on it and Save Target As