Chicagoist: Lights Out! Earth Hour 2009 Is Approaching

chicagodom

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:52:42 -0600

I hope all you geniuses us public transit, bike or walk as much as possible instead of using your Earth-killing cars. :) Have a nice day, the planet still loves you.

Tower18

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:59:10 -0600

Waiting for the rehash of last year's long, drawn-out argument over how the Sears Tower and Hancock dimming their lights is a safety hazard for aircraft navigation...lol.

Ingrid

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:55:36 -0600

You hit it on the head, BlueFairlane. Baby steps. There are a lot of people who would never take the time or have the time to actually get involved in a big way. When they find out how good it feels to connect with others on a worldwide scale maybe their consciences will get raised and they'll feel the urge to go out and do something else beneficial. Or maybe not. But, it's not gonna kill ya to turn out the lights for an hour. Have a conversation, play monopoly by candlelight, go for a walk. It's all good.

BlueFairlane

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:51:42 -0600

Sure, this doesn't have the effect of rebuilding our entire infrastructure and altering the way we live our lives, but if you're holding out for only that and nothing else you'll have to wait a long while. It takes a lot of little steps to build an acceptance for the big steps in a population. Sure, turning the lights out for an hour won't save us, but maybe it will make some people more willing to think. I compare it to all those Green party Nader voters back in 2000, who think the only way to start a new party is to start at the top, when it would have been must better to spend all that money building a base in local and state elections first. Big change happens slowly. You need patience.

matilda

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:43:21 -0600

Yes, it is PR bullshit, but as much as we might dislike it, PR does work for good and for not. Perhaps a stunt such as this might wake up more people; maybe not. The thing is, neither you nor I know for sure. Yes, I am lonely, as my cats have all run away. That is why I fish the Internet for people like you, who, no matter how much they mock, keep coming back to me and responding. I suspect you have a ill-developed sense of irony based on the distance between your mocking comments and your actual behavior.

JessNevins

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:39:04 -0600

More text. You're lonely aren't you? Green-washing horseshit like this masks actual, substantial changes in infrastructure, food architecture and other patterns of consumption that need to change. Turning out your lights? Bougie, feel good, bullshit.

matilda

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:31:41 -0600

Would you prefer the WWF distribute information via parchment and fleet-footed couriers, then? Some people have this either/or idea of green: That either one must mock the green movement, or one must use brittle leaves for toilet paper lest one be called a hypocrite. There is a position somewhere in the middle; that is, we can still be modern while working to reduce our energy consumption and making our technologies more efficient. Surely you know this. If not, well ...

JessNevins

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:14:49 -0600

I like that the WWF encourages people to use electronic devices to learn about how they can cut down on their energy use. Hey, let's all drive in separate cars to the earth day rally! Green is bullshit.

matilda

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:05:18 -0600

A visit to the Earth Hour Web site suggests they mean Chicago region when they say Chicago. The Chicago region has some 8 million people. Not saying the numbers are solid, only that they seem to be using a larger population measure.

Sears Tower

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:31:56 -0600

2.7 million people? Given we only have about 2.835 million, I find that percentage to be extremely high to the point I don't believe it.

mkpelland

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:00:25 -0600

There is a Chicago teacher who is doing a marvelous job in creating climate change awareness. Read about her - she's awesome. http://www.examiner.com/x-5356-Chicago-Home-Technology-Examiner~y2009m3d25-From-home-and-the-world-technology-connects-classroom-and-teacher