For quite a white I see the promo on the TV about Earth Hour. I think it is a good campaign to create awareness in the developed world about the global warming and I support this initiative and general the initiatives that tackle global warming.
I allow myself to be a bit cynical though and also to challenge a bit the earth hour fans.
Firstly, I think the organizers should award Vietnam as a champion of earth hour, as here the electricity company makes sure that there is earth hour event quite frequently. Power shortages are quite common, especially in the dry season when the hydro power plants are not on full capacity. So sometimes I just stay at home in the dark and do my private earth hour.
The challenge for campaigns like the earth hour is that it engages the developed world mostly, and not so much the energy hungry developing world. Those people who have power shortages every once in a while, can’t really be enthusiastic about another earth hour. So how can the developing world be engaged in the discussion of global warming? How can we create awareness? Because most of the increase in energy consumption (and cause for global warming) will come from the developing world in the next couple of years.
Another personal observation is that during these power shortages, the sexual activity increases. I mean it is dark and you happen to be with a girl at home, what can you do? Now if 1 billion people join this earth hour, then there is a pretty high chance of some babies to be borne. How much is the energy saving from the earth hour and how much energy is consumed for rising up these new babies and whatever they will consume during their lifetime???? I am sure that over the years an event like this is increasing energy consumption, even if it is decreasing in short term.
Last year I have been invited to do this earth hour thing with my friends. So here I arrive to the place of my friend where lots of candles were burnt during earth hour. I am sure the energy consumed for making those candles+ the one used for their transportation is much higher then the energy used by an energy efficient light bulb. And after the one hour, they turned on to the maximum all the air conditioners…F#%&k
My point is that it is important to have awareness campaigns and the earth hour seems to be a decent one. But substance also matters and besides switching off the lights, others steps are needed. I rarely use air-conditioning, but sometimes walk naked in the house to coop with the heat. I tried to convince my bosses that we should apply the same measures in the office, but it seems they don’t care about saving the planet because they did not agree to that.
Now that my laptop is out of battery soon (and there is a power interruption in my flat), I have to finish this post, and will publish on the net later on. Signing off from the city of earth hour: Saigon.
Posted by a proud uncle and godfather :)
