Earth Hour is Tonight! 8:30-9:30pm (28th March 2009)

Digital Vampire · 28th March 2009, 19:59

Team BHP'ians! Please participate in Earth Hour Tonight! 8:30-9:30pm (March 28 2009).

TODAY AT 8.30PM YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR.

Earth Hour 2009 takes place at 8:30 pm local time, wherever you live on planet Earth. Join the millions of people in more than 35 countries worldwide that have already made a commitment to turn off their lights for just one hour to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

Hundreds of icons and landmarks around the world will go lights out for the fourth annual Earth Hour including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney Opera House, Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens and The London Eye. More than 400 cities worldwide will turn off all non-essential lights.

Take advantage of the time in the dark and break out your beeswax candles and have a candlelight party with friends, or there are tons of restaurants participating if you would like to dine in candlelight. Click here to find out what your city is doing to participate.

So don’t forget to turn out your non-essential lighting today between 8:30-9:30 pm local time and show the world you care!

sudev · 28th March 2009, 20:41

Switching off for a short while (like one hour today) forces utilities shut clean power like hydro not polluting thermal. Counter productive.

Hydros can be switched on or off faster. Thermals can not be switched on or off in a short while. If we really care switch off for a day or more.

If they do not do this the whole grid will get damaged which will be causing more environment damage.

Why do we only fall in for tokenism rather than really adopting green ways?

hvkumar · 28th March 2009, 20:49

We already have 3-4 hours of power cuts daily - doing too much for the cause already!

First switch off expensive outdoor hoarding neon lights, which the BMC makes enough money from, so they do not cut power to them!

Stop using your air conditioner at home!

Throw away your Microwave ovens!

Have cold water baths daily!

Smaller TV screens also show the same thing!

Stop over-charging your mobile phone!

say NO to inverters which guzzle power!

The West expends so much energy anyway, let them celebrate Earth Days and Power-less Days, let us get on with our power-less life!

Forget Climate Change - I am a Climate Change advisor by profession - but let there be energy for all those millions who live in darkness, are unable to pursue livelihoods, study by the streetlights...

Will you switch off your computers one day in your life? Or your mobiles? Or your cars?

Practice Climate Change every day in your life!

sudev · 28th March 2009, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Have cold water baths daily!

Or use solar heater....

How many of people have thought through this than just get sucked in by hype and taking a token bow. Then back to normal without any pause.

And why do you think burning candles is more energy efficient or conserving?

sammyboy · 29th March 2009, 04:25

we had a very successful switch off. Out off a 112 flats a lil over a 100 switched off for an hour.

vivekiny2k · 29th March 2009, 05:32

I conserve energy everyday at every possible front. I don't see a point of doing it for an hour and going back to our ways after that.

greenhorn · 29th March 2009, 08:43

our local substation ensured that our entire locality followed it

hvkumar · 29th March 2009, 08:51

....and now the world has gone back to its 2 halves: the larger half who switched off lights at 830 pm, and the smaller who practice energy efficiency daily in their lives. No prizes for guessing that it was the 5 star hotels which hosted the candlelight diners!

sammyboy, no offence to you, it is a general comment.

....and let me finish off this message fast before the mandatory power cut starts here!!!

sameel · 29th March 2009, 09:57

i made it a point to keep all the lights on hehe.

earth hour my foot.

cheers.

Steeroid · 29th March 2009, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Practice Climate Change every day in your life!

Kumaara

You do mean practice Energy Saving every day of your life, dont you?

Or do you want us to practice Climate Change so that the demand for your services goes sky high?

clevermax · 29th March 2009, 11:55

The earth hour is not gonna make any difference. Mostly People from developed countries like US participate in this.

The problem is, major percentage of power generated there is consumed by commericial business and indusries and not by domestic consumers. None of the industrial heavy duty consumers participate in earth hour. Domestic household usage amounts to only 15-20% of the production. I've read somewhere that only 20% of people among them is really aware of earth hour, and if they all turn off their lights for one hour, the energy demand might decrease by 3 to 5 % optimistically. Or about 250-400 MWh of power (megawatt hours).

Forget the case of countries like India participating in earth hour and making *any* difference in power demand during that hour.

sammyboy · 2nd April 2009, 01:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

....and now the world has gone back to its 2 halves: the larger half who switched off lights at 830 pm, and the smaller who practice energy efficiency daily in their lives. No prizes for guessing that it was the 5 star hotels which hosted the candlelight diners!

sammyboy, no offence to you, it is a general comment.

....and let me finish off this message fast before the mandatory power cut starts here!!!

No offence taken sir. I do my bit by switching off all lights in all rooms I am not into. Plus, my dad is a structural engineer who has worked on atleast 8-10 micro-hydel projects (no sarkari but on his own and he is ethical to the l

) . He got several offers to go abroad and work for the UN etc but he wants to do his bit quietly for the country, so we do try to do our bit

always. Each hour is earth hour

Samurai · 2nd April 2009, 08:46

If I am not mistaken, if you shutoff all the air-conditioners for 1 hour and start it back-on, the totally energy used actually goes up when compared to leaving the AC on. This is because maintaining the temperature is cheaper than cooling from scratch. This is what I have been told, the ACs suck lot more power cooling the room, but consume lot less while maintaining the temperature in already cooled room. Therefore switching it for an hour won't help save any energy.

hvkumar · 2nd April 2009, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Kumaara

You do mean practice Energy Saving every day of your life, dont you?

Or do you want us to practice Climate Change so that the demand for your services goes sky high?

Yes, Energy Efficiency has to be a way of life, not just a moment like the Earth Hour tamasha. Switch off lights for half an hour and then go back to your old and usual energy-guzzling ways.

Learn to switch off lights when not in use.
Use ACs, if at all, sparingly (I do not have a AC at home, and office AC is used sparingly)
Shut off your computers when not in use
Drive economically
....and hundreds of energy savings ideas.

Just for starters, check out the India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency web-site.

Jeep · 2nd April 2009, 09:44

I did do one thing today. Asked my brother to drop me at the bus stop ( 2kms away) and then took the public transport to office (BMTC volvo is so good!). I do this once in a while. Feel so good to have saved around 1.5 litres of petrol (although the cost of travel doesn't change much and I have greater travel time).

It makes you feel good. If my place of stay was only about a km from the bus stop, I would have made it a daily routine. (There is a bus terminus near by however the frequency of service is pathetic - once every 30 mins or so)

28th March 2009, 19:59	#1
Digital Vampire BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Utopia! Posts: 595 Thanked: 105 Times	Earth Hour is Tonight! 8:30-9:30pm (28th March 2009) Team BHP'ians! Please participate in Earth Hour Tonight! 8:30-9:30pm (March 28 2009). TODAY AT 8.30PM YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR. Earth Hour 2009 takes place at 8:30 pm local time, wherever you live on planet Earth. Join the millions of people in more than 35 countries worldwide that have already made a commitment to turn off their lights for just one hour to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions. Hundreds of icons and landmarks around the world will go lights out for the fourth annual Earth Hour including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney Opera House, Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens and The London Eye. More than 400 cities worldwide will turn off all non-essential lights. Take advantage of the time in the dark and break out your beeswax candles and have a candlelight party with friends, or there are tons of restaurants participating if you would like to dine in candlelight. Click here to find out what your city is doing to participate. So don’t forget to turn out your non-essential lighting today between 8:30-9:30 pm local time and show the world you care! Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Digital Vampire : 28th March 2009 at 20:03.
	() Thanks

28th March 2009, 20:41	#2
sudev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,838 Thanked: 3,179 Times	Switching off for a short while (like one hour today) forces utilities shut clean power like hydro not polluting thermal. Counter productive. Hydros can be switched on or off faster. Thermals can not be switched on or off in a short while. If we really care switch off for a day or more. If they do not do this the whole grid will get damaged which will be causing more environment damage. Why do we only fall in for tokenism rather than really adopting green ways?
	() Thanks

28th March 2009, 20:49	#3
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	We already have 3-4 hours of power cuts daily - doing too much for the cause already! First switch off expensive outdoor hoarding neon lights, which the BMC makes enough money from, so they do not cut power to them! Stop using your air conditioner at home! Throw away your Microwave ovens! Have cold water baths daily! Smaller TV screens also show the same thing! Stop over-charging your mobile phone! say NO to inverters which guzzle power! The West expends so much energy anyway, let them celebrate Earth Days and Power-less Days, let us get on with our power-less life! Forget Climate Change - I am a Climate Change advisor by profession - but let there be energy for all those millions who live in darkness, are unable to pursue livelihoods, study by the streetlights... Will you switch off your computers one day in your life? Or your mobiles? Or your cars? Practice Climate Change every day in your life!
	() Thanks

29th March 2009, 04:25	#5
sammyboy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ggn/Dehradun Posts: 1,842 Thanked: 521 Times View My Garage	we had a very successful switch off. Out off a 112 flats a lil over a 100 switched off for an hour.
	() Thanks

29th March 2009, 05:32	#6
vivekiny2k Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: cincinnati, jabalpur,chennai Posts: 1,264 Thanked: 209 Times View My Garage	I conserve energy everyday at every possible front. I don't see a point of doing it for an hour and going back to our ways after that.
	() Thanks

29th March 2009, 08:43	#7
greenhorn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,745 Thanked: 4,397 Times View My Garage	our local substation ensured that our entire locality followed it
	() Thanks

29th March 2009, 08:51	#8
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	....and now the world has gone back to its 2 halves: the larger half who switched off lights at 830 pm, and the smaller who practice energy efficiency daily in their lives. No prizes for guessing that it was the 5 star hotels which hosted the candlelight diners! sammyboy, no offence to you, it is a general comment. ....and let me finish off this message fast before the mandatory power cut starts here!!!
	() Thanks

29th March 2009, 09:57	#9
sameel BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cochin Posts: 268 Thanked: 3 Times	i made it a point to keep all the lights on hehe. earth hour my foot. cheers.
	() Thanks

29th March 2009, 11:55	#11
clevermax Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tvm/Amsterdam Posts: 2,086 Thanked: 2,640 Times View My Garage	The earth hour is not gonna make any difference. Mostly People from developed countries like US participate in this. The problem is, major percentage of power generated there is consumed by commericial business and indusries and not by domestic consumers. None of the industrial heavy duty consumers participate in earth hour. Domestic household usage amounts to only 15-20% of the production. I've read somewhere that only 20% of people among them is really aware of earth hour, and if they all turn off their lights for one hour, the energy demand might decrease by 3 to 5 % optimistically. Or about 250-400 MWh of power (megawatt hours). Forget the case of countries like India participating in earth hour and making any difference in power demand during that hour.
	() Thanks

2nd April 2009, 08:46	#13
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,826 Thanked: 45,514 Times View My Garage	If I am not mistaken, if you shutoff all the air-conditioners for 1 hour and start it back-on, the totally energy used actually goes up when compared to leaving the AC on. This is because maintaining the temperature is cheaper than cooling from scratch. This is what I have been told, the ACs suck lot more power cooling the room, but consume lot less while maintaining the temperature in already cooled room. Therefore switching it for an hour won't help save any energy.
	() Thanks

2nd April 2009, 09:44	#15
Jeep BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London Posts: 438 Thanked: 67 Times	I did do one thing today. Asked my brother to drop me at the bus stop ( 2kms away) and then took the public transport to office (BMTC volvo is so good!). I do this once in a while. Feel so good to have saved around 1.5 litres of petrol (although the cost of travel doesn't change much and I have greater travel time). It makes you feel good. If my place of stay was only about a km from the bus stop, I would have made it a daily routine. (There is a bus terminus near by however the frequency of service is pathetic - once every 30 mins or so)
	() Thanks