Environmentalists Hail Earth Hour As A Big Success

BONN, Germany — For environmental activists, the message was clear: Earth Hour was a huge success.

Now they say nations have a mandate to tackle climate change.

"The world said yes to climate action, now governments must follow," the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said Sunday, a day after hundreds of millions of people worldwide followed its call to turn off lights for a full hour.

From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Empire State building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday night to highlight the threat of climate change. Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries dimmed nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

WWF called the event, which began in Australia in 2007 and grew last year to 400 cities worldwide, "the world's first-ever global vote about the future of our planet."

The United Nations' top climate official, Yvo de Boer, called the event a clear sign that the world wants negotiators seeking a climate change agreement to set an ambitious course to fight global warming.

Talks in Bonn this week are the latest round in an effort to craft a deal to control emissions of the heat-trapping gases responsible for global warming. They are due to culminate in Copenhagen this December.

"Earth Hour was probably the largest public demonstration on climate change ever," de Boer told delegates from 175 nations. "Its aim was to tell every government representative to seal a deal in Copenhagen. The world's concerned citizens have given the negotiations an additional and very clear mandate."

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Earth Hour officially began when the Chatham Islands, 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of New Zealand, switched off its diesel generators. It moved on through Asia, Europe and then crossed the Atlantic to North and South America.

"Earth Hour has always been a positive campaign," said Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley. "It's always around street parties, not street protests, it's the idea of hope, not despair. And I think that's something that's been incredibly important this year because there is so much despair around."

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Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

Earth Hour: http://www.earthhour.org

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Earth Hour video: http://sn.im/enqwn

Comments

[Warmglobe]

Yes I thought it was great having millions of wingnuts shutting everything of theirs off so we didn't have to hear them whining...­at least for an hour.

[Gumby123]

Why didn't Al Gore celebrate Earth hour? http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/YeasandNays/Earth-lover-Gore-doesnt-love-Earth-Hour-42081362.html

[AngieMom57]

Why is it so difficult to embrace a healthy habit and effortless to become addicted to the latest gadget in human evolution?

GREEN WEAPONS OF MASS CONSTRUCTION: Computers with High-Speed Internet

Information now is up to true viewer discretion; wouldn't u agree?

MEATLESS MONDAY LUNCH MENU

Clear Vegetable Broth
Adzuki Bean Teriyaki Burger on a bed of steamed Kale
Fried Butternut Squash

Berry Kanton or Vegan Cream of Coconut Macadamia Banana Cream Pie (Sugar Free or not)

Kukicha Tea

[StanlyManly]

At this point, I think I have seen you post about "meatless monday" about 20 times.

That, simply put, is nothing more than spam.

Kindly refrain from further spam, thank you.

[longtimegone]

As I've said elsewhere, you're starting to sound like Dr. Bronner.

[plantguy]

Americans losing their jobs have earthday daily because they can't afford to waste the electricity, so lets get our ducks in a ROW and start working on important issues.

[retroredux]

this is a yearly event-so should they have canceled it because of the economy? I guess they should cancel the Jerry Lewis telethon too, huh?

Life DOES go on and these issues are not going to just go away because the economy is down

[dandypuddin]

If you think that climate change will not negatively impact the economy, you are sorely mistaken. There are about 100 threads pertaining to the economy and jobs and bailouts, why post here? Just curious?

[SonofLiberty1]

Plant guy...

Here's something you may not know....

If your room isn't dark where you sleep (light from outide your windows leaking in or inside your bedroom) you have a higher chance of getting cancer!

Because we are supposed to sleep in the darkness not in the light.

Shiftworkers also can have an increased chance of cancer...

There are real environmental problems too...

In other words...it­'s common sense.

[StanlyManly]

Increased chance of cancer...

Odd that life expectancy is around 75 years here in the US with all this electricy and light.

I'm going to go out on a limb, and speculate that your life expectancy would be much shorter if you moved out into the wilderness, 50 miles from any electric supply, and didnt bring any type of light source.

I choose the 75 year life expectancy with "increased" chance of cancer, over a 35 year life expectency with increased chance of freezing to death, starving to death, or getting eaten by a bear.

In other words, common sense doesn't appear to be very common.

P.S. How does the light from a full moon figure into your cancer equation?

[plantguy]

Wow thats for your input.

[JnrNorman]

Vegans prize food shrinks the brain!


The Dangers of Soy - Body & Soul
... men experience brain shrinkage and Alzheimer's as an effect of this " ... http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html, http://www.mercola.com/article/soy, media.www.msuspokesman.com/media/.../../The-Dangers.Of.Soy-776868.shtml

[AngieMom57]

Look as I stated in an earlier post; ONE DAY A WEEK WITHOUT ANIMAL PRODUCTS will most certainly get a green light from your doctor who is into PREVENTATIVE MEASURES OF HEALTH!

MEATLESS MONDAY LUNCH MENU

Clear Vegetable Broth
Adzuki Bean Teriyaki Burger on a bed of steamed Kale
Fried Butternut Squash

Berry Kanton

Kukicha Tea

[JoshuaLudd]

You do realize that there are many more foods out there besides soy, right???

[dandypuddin]

Environmental stories get the worst comments from Tro//s. We know they are all 20 year olds being paid by the oil companies to post such uneducated drivel.

[topgunna]

Reality tells a different story.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/03/29/earth-hour-in-california-success-or-bust-the-caiso-power-graph-tells-the-story/#more-6651

[sandiegoconservative]

There was a strip mall section in a shopping area about 3 miles from my home that proudly proclaimed all of the businesses in the mall (3 restaurants, a technology store, a pet store and a check cashing store) would all be participating in the hour. The pet store would already be closed by that time anyway, but getting past that . . .

After participation, all the businesses were open an extra hour later, thus negating their good intentions. I bet all of the owners still went home feeling high and mighty. At least I was able to have a good dinner after the movie I went to that night let out.

[retroredux]

Has anyone else noticed that Republicans are SO worried about future generations when it comes to government spending, but when it come's to living more conservatively with our planet's resources-for those SAME future generations-they don't give a $hit?

Our government can always find ways to bring the economy back-we CANNOT bring back the environment once it starts to fail.
Those against environmentalism AND who claim to be Christians-you are actually spitting in God's face. The bible plainly states we are STEWARDS of our planet. We are responsible for making sure that the earth's resources are used RESPONSIBLY. Republicans are all hypocrites.

[JohnIII]

So is Al Gore. Follow the money.

[retroredux]

Al Gore isn't the only person warning about global warming you nit wit. Why don't you follow the money your da mn self-right into the pockets of big oil who've sold out our planet for 30 pieces of silver. Breathe deep-and hope that all that oil was worth it with no clean air to breathe.

[dandypuddin]

Love the jerky follow the money. It's just so mysterious­... Is that all you have?

[JoshuaLudd]

You do realize global warming predates both Al Gore's interest in it... AND his little movie, right?

You DO realize he didn't invent the concept, right?

[flossophy]

so everyone turns off there lights for an hour... and that's a mandate? a mandate to shift control of the climate to government bureaucracies and restrict the economic activity of the world's markets?

this is like clicking your heels together..­.

[JoshuaLudd]

Well, who would you have control the climate? the corporations that are already doing it???

There are some things slightly more important than corporations having the right and ability to make whatever they want wherever they want around the globe and then ship it wherever by whatever means like care to use.

[flossophy]

It's not a matter of control... it's a matter of how to best adapt to the changes. Economic growth leads to countries being able to clean up their pollution.­.. poor countries cannot do this, and create dirtier environments.

So the idea is to grow these economies so they can deal with the problem... If big government comes in and puts restrictions on the market, you'll see stagnant growth - then nothing will get resolved.

We so easily forget the positive environmental aspects of strong economic growth... The Democrats (and the UN) are antithetical to this goal.

[AbbieHoffman2]

how would you suggest we begin?

[sandiegoconservative]

How about offering reasonable tax incentives or rebates for conversion to green technology. That would be a great start. I have more if you want them.

[HillbillyBob]

I believe it is about taking control of YOUR own energy use. Ever hear of being Mindful?
Many Americans are wasteful of resources and we waste so much.
I grew up on a dirt farm in WV around relatives that survived the Depression.
They didn't waste any thing, at the time I thought they were being a bit obsessive about it.

We have cut energy use by about 40%, without sweating or freezing, in fact we are more comfortable than when we moved in here.
I wonder what reasoning is with R folks who claim to be conservative then waste and have no feelings for the greater community or world. I think SelfServative is more accurate. I did not adopt all of this at one time, I add a new thing and practice it, then add a new one as I have made it a habit. It really is quite painless. One thing, one day at a time.

[flossophy]

Think of it this way: the private sector can do any task the government does at half the cost. So behind every government program, there's a dirty coal burning smokestack wasting valuable resources.­..

If you're so interested in conserving energy and not polluting.­.. you need to reduce the size of the most inefficient institution on the planet... big government. You can change all the light bulbs in the world and conserve everything possible, but if you don't limit the size of government, you will not affect anything.

The problem with this approach is that the D's will not go along with it... they're more interested in preserving their expansive government power over saving the environment.

[dandypuddin]

So, what do you suggest? What are you doing? It calls attention to the issue in a rather big way.

[flossophy]

how about a massive green energy prize? how about NOT handing over control of the climate to the most inefficient and ineffectual bureaucracy on the planet... big government. When has that ever worked?

See, here's the problem... everyone thinks that government can save the environment. When it has proven over decades it can't do ANYTHING efficiently. All they would do is to put more control over the private sector which would stifle growth... and when you do that, the world suffers.

[MissElaineous]

The organizers wanted to make a point that if we think about this kind of thing and take some action, no matter how small it seems to the smartarses, that we can effect change. They can take the statistics from the power generation companies for this timeframe and demonstrate what the change that even a small group of people can make.

I live my entire life like "Earth Hour" and have saved a small fortune on my utility bills. ( For example, the only lights on in the house are on in the room I am in, all the electronics in my house, but the stove and fridge are on power strips that are turned off 23 hours a day, and I acclimated to a slightly cooler temperature than I have in the past.) It is not as hard as you think and if more people did something as simple as putting the TV on a power strip, it could make a difference­..

But, go ahead and pretend you are cool by pooh-poohing the idea. It must be comforting to know how utterly and completely dependent you are on something that can go away if a tree falls over or a computer malfunctions in a building a mile away from your house...

[TuoulumneFlower]

Hear, hear. My husband and I have done all the above. Other simple things do to are, hanging clothes out to dry, and leaving phone re-chargers unplugged when not in use. We will be putting in a simple, inexpensive solar water heating system this summer. None of these things are hard and it saves a lot of money.

Live simply so that others may simply live...

[HillbillyBob]

I have plug strips for things like the microwave, small remote controlled tv, coffee maker(anything that has a soft touch switch/remote control, or clocks is likely using power when off Most newer tvs with remotes usually have Flash memory so turning off the power should not affect the channel selections. LED lights , LCD puter screens, our tv is a projector (it uses 200 watts total and gives a pic on the wall that I can actuallly see and turn it off with a plug strip, a regular lcd tv uses close to 300 wats, plasma 500, crt depending on size from 250 up. I also have insulated curtain liners and take advantage of solar gain on cool but sunny days, and close them during hot but sunny days. We need to replace the windows, and roof but in due time.

[StanlyManly]

Kind of hard to hang my clothes out to dry here when it rains. Also kind of hard to use solar power here when we get sunshine maybe 4 months out of the year.

Oddly enough, the rest of the universe does not cease to exist when you close your eyes to keep from getting sand in them.

[RenoSage]

During WW2 if you lived near the West Coast bright lights were forbidden after a Japanese submarine
surfaced and shelled Santa Barbara. After dark the accepted lighting was limited to the equivalent of
one foot candle. Blackout curtains were used. If the block warden could see your lights you were
cited.

We have lived without electricity for a time. Earth Hour was simply to remind people all over the world
that energy is finite.

I would not like to be "powerless".

[StanlyManly]

You say "energy is finite" like that is somehow a fact.

I'm sure any physicist, or any common man with even a slight understanding of pysics, would beg to differ.

[dandypuddin]

I think he meant the energy we use-oil. And it is finite.

[slithers]

Yes, it was a resounding joke.

[The Ghost]

Yes you are.

[Beachrunner]

If all you "Earth Hour" followers were serious, you'd flip the main breaker to the "O-F-F" position and leave it there.

[MissElaineous]

Every party has a pooper
and that's why we invited you
party pooper (tra la)
party pooper....

[hippie chucker]

I just think that we should emulate North Korea. Turns out that nighttime satellite pics show a country that is completely dark-all the time.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/dprk-dark.htm

How very forward thinking of them to get out in front of Earth Hour! .