Chicagoist: Power Hour

tru freedom

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:20:48 -0600

I'd love to participate but it would require us to stop our wind generator and disable the solar panels (if the moon is bright enough, smarty pants, they might still be effective that time of the day). Have fun!

matty

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:58:58 -0600

If it creates a dialogue it's not a useless stunt. Awareness is as important as practice as the first begets the second.

magilla gorilla

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:54:46 -0600

who's going to hold this national conversation you recommend? i don't think the wwf/sierra club/greenpeace/etc. have the resources and money to do that. the only possible way to reach out and educate on a mass level would be through the federal government and we both know that would never happen (at least now). as i stated before, this "stunt" isn't going to solve everything but will know doubt do more good than harm. to bitch about it is silly and juvenile. arguing about their methods and bringing up separate issues is akin to complaining about making the public aware of the dangers of cigarettes because it does nothing about breast cancer

matilda

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:59:32 -0600

You are right, Magilla. One should go along and accept stupidity, and if one can't say something nice, one should not talk at all. Brilliant insight you offer. Awareness? I doubt that will come from sitting in the dark. How about real education about daily conservation measures, or a real national conversation about energy and what we need to do to be green? How about an examination of our food production methods, which also suck up ungodly amounts of energy? Any of this shit would be more effective than turning out some lights for an hour on some Saturday. This reminds me of bullshit like Hands Across America, another pointless PR stunt.

magilla gorilla

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:39:25 -0600

you couldn't come up with a more apt definition of 'useless' than people who sit on their asses bitching/criticizing everything i'm sure the wwf thinks this will solve all the environmental issues in the world. brilliant fucking comment matilda

matilda

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:51:45 -0600

A useless stunt. If we really want to be green, we have to work harder than this.

magilla gorilla

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:53:54 -0600

this event isn't meant to save energy per se and there is no doubt there is more people can do to save energy beyond turning lights off. it's purpose is awareness and to send a message. if someone sitting in the dark for an hour doesn't understand the reason for the event, they'd have to be the most dense person in the world. it's about as vague as hitting someone in the head with a frying pan. i think it's a good idea and the ones who came up with it should be commended. it should be commended for what it is, not criticized for what it's not.

kdjk5467

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:12:21 -0600

Will Chicagoist go offline? If not, I cry Hippo!

Prescott Carlson

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:20:22 -0600

Again, how does this "promote and encourage" anything? It's like an alcoholic giving up the booze for one day. I'll stand by my description of "vague" -- sitting in the dark for an hour doesn't make most think about "energy efficiency", but rather how dependent we are on electricity. And will most also think to unplug their refrigerator, the biggest energy hog in a residential dwelling? And I'll admit I'm old and jaded, but you misconstrue my comment -- I didn't say it was "bad", or that Earth Day is "bad", etc., etc. There isn't a negative effect. It's just that acts like these aren't some panacea to be lauded by everyone such as Mayor Daley. Don't you think the end result would have been much greater if those 2.2 million people/businesses in Australia instead on that day changed merely one of the light bulbs in their house/office to a CFL? It doesn't take a math whiz to figure out that would result in a much higher net energy savings over the course of a month than unplugging for an hour.

magilla gorilla

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:59:49 -0600

you just new someone would come in with a jaded comment. turning off the lights to promote and encourage energy efficiency is in no way "vague awareness". it's in fact the opposite of vague. there is nothing bad about this idea. nothing

claimtofame

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:11:54 -0600

Turning off lights in high rise offices and unused rooms = cool. Turning off lights that are on for safety reasons = NOT COOL Let's hope people exercise common sense when participating in this.

Prescott Carlson

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:05:13 -0600

Not to be a curmudgeon, but what exactly is this supposed to accomplish? Some sort of vague "awareness"? How does turning the lights off for an hour help make "Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the world" when the needle on the meter will just shoot back into the red zone at 9:00? I think we're beyond the point where we can afford to waste time on empty symbolism. (insert Obama joke here)

GordonTramesko

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:55:41 -0600

Earth hour, earth hour! The one I adore. I hope that ALL city buildings participate (that includes you giant stadium flood lights illuminating the Wrigley Bldg.)

spookhatespuppies

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:16:03 -0600

@Ontology: Nope. This is just a quiet way to cut away some "deadwood". /sarcasm But ComEd has proven themselves to be pretty committed to carbon reduction... they're one of the largest commercial nuclear operators in the world.

Ontology

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:06:36 -0600

I'm guessing/hoping hospitals are exempt.

Ontology

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:06:16 -0600

I'm guessing/hoping hospitals are exempt.

Ryan P

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:58:36 -0600

It'll be just like if the terrorists won.

biscuitcleaver

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:56:10 -0600

How does that work? Do they turn off the street lamps too? That'd save a great amount of power, but would be kind of dangerous

fed up

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:54:27 -0600

An hour of looting and riots cool.

PumaConcolor

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:43:52 -0600

Hear hear!

magikist

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:27:49 -0600

This is completely awesome.