Jake_Ellison Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 With global hurricane activity at its lowest, with record winter in both Europe and North America, with Environmentalists' predictions that the North Pole will lose its ice cover proven wrong last summer, with figures from Environmentalists about the ice sheets of Antarctica shrinking revealed to be wrong, and countless other examples, there has never been more evidence contradicting their claims of an imminent disaster due to Global Warming. And yet, there has never been a greater political push toward suppressing energy consumption and economic growth than there is today, supposedly to avoid this threat. We have to stand up to this irrationality, and an excellent opportunity to send a loud and clear message is to spend a few cents or dollars tonight, by turning on our appliances for an hour. They are asking everyone in the World for our vote on Google, their website, through the UN and governments around the world, etc., so, for what it's worth, let's vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Not sure if anyone posted a link to this before. It seems like many people, independently, got the same idea of protesting by turning their lights on for an hour today. Nor is it just Objectivists. On Friday, Rush Limbaugh was criticizing the Earth Hour crowd and saying that he is going to turn on all his lights and wants his listeners to do so as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Don't forget this is the mentality we are up against. Not to be childish or alarmist or anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 The real threat is the middle-of-road folk who think of the kookie guys as misguided idealists. If the vast majority of people buy into the proposition that humans ought to exploit the Earth, the fringe will remain a fringe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AulusAemilius Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) It's sort of ironic that the supporters of Earth Hour advocate lighting candles instead of using electricity, when most lit candles emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. [Source 1] [Source 2] Edited March 28, 2009 by AulusAemilius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Aulus, do not confuse them with logic. Actually it may be part of their plan. Ban electrical lighting of all types as a threat to the environment. Then ban whatever you replace it with--almost certain to happen since the tech we actually use tends to be cleaner than obsolete techs. Repeat as needed here and in other applications of technology until we become like cavemen (and just incidentally reduce our population by 999/1000ths because such a level of tech cannot support a global population much more than that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0918 Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) I had a debate with Amy Nasir about this, and decided I wouldn't participate in this. But I also wouldn't participate in Earth Hour, and that would be my protest of that. I will disregard it. Here is some of the discussion thread from facebook: My last note to those who think that running extra lights, TVs and computers for one measly hour is a "waste," you should either drop this, or be consistent and raise hell at Christmastime. Perhaps you could hand out flyers door to door to people with Christmas lights and make them feel guilty that they are enjoying themselves. Amy: I am not concerned with others. The "waste" I referred to is personal. In my house, if I am not in a room, I do not turn the lights on. Likewise, were I to start a business, I would try to make it run as efficiently as possible. With respect to lighting, I would use automatic motion sensors to turn lights on/off when people enter/leave room. Does that make sense? I couldn't care less about other people - this isn't about the environment, or global waste. Because it's a moral issue, it rightly applies only to myself and my actions. "What should I do?" I should be efficient whenever possible. Regarding Earth Hour: I will not turn my lights off. I will not give any thought to Earth Hour. I will act how I normally act. That is my protest - I know about the movement, I know it is wrong, and I will knowingly disregard the movement. Edited March 28, 2009 by brian0918 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake_Ellison Posted March 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Amy Nasir: My last note to those who think that running extra lights, TVs and computers for one measly hour is a "waste," you should either drop this, or be consistent and raise hell at Christmastime. Perhaps you could hand out flyers door to door to people with Christmas lights and make them feel guilty that they are enjoying themselves. I'm not raising Hell or bothering people at home now either: I'm making a point, without leaving my property. If Amy has a similar idea about making a point at Christmas time, I'd love to do it, since I am indeed a very vocal atheist. But I reject the suggestion that we should pass up any opportunity to defend our freedom and spread reason. Regarding Earth Hour: I will not turn my lights off. I will not give any thought to Earth Hour. I will act how I normally act. That is my protest - I know about the movement, I know it is wrong, and I will knowingly disregard the movement. Fair enough, that's a sign of protest too. I just think that what I'm doing is more effective. Is there a reason why it is immoral? (besides the cost argument-I use my money to pay for the things I do, that's what my money is for, so paying a few bucks to make a point is no more immoral than paying for the electricity my computer uses as I'm typing this. They're both part of the same effort to keep in touch with Objectivists and fight collectivism) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitalism Forever Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 I'll be having dinner with friends this evening, at their place, so I'll turn all my lights on at 7:30 when I'm leaving, and they'll stay on till whenever I get home. I've already got the timers set on the dishwasher and washing machine. I've got a wine cooler that I don't normally use because it's too noisy--it's just gone on. The one switch I'll be turning off is the "Power Save" setting of my laptop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Earth Hour is just the latest salvo of the environmentalist movement, which wishes to be nothing less than the Anti-industrial Revolution. Power For The People! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 I had a debate with Amy Nasir about this, and decided I wouldn't participate in this.It's perfectly fine not to participate. However, it is dropping context to call it a waste. That would be true if the organizers were advocating an increased use of power in general. Instead, this is a symbolic protest and/or celebration, depending on how one looks at it. The Xmas lights comparison is apt, because those aren't a waste either, if done for the right reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0918 Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Alright, so long as it is indeed done for celebratory reasons, and not for some secret vindictive hatred for liberals, then I see no problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01503 Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Edison Hour/Exploit The Earth Hour has officially begun on the East Coast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0918 Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 "Here, have some revolution." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) Alright, so long as it is indeed done for celebratory reasons, and not for some secret vindictive hatred for liberals, then I see no problem with it.Celebratory okay. However, how about as a personal protest: a way of doing something small to make one's protest a little concrete to oneself? Edited March 29, 2009 by softwareNerd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Sophia~ Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) Facebooks' Earth Hour group has 741,990 members. It is so depressing that so many people so easily swallow green propaganda. Edited March 29, 2009 by ~Sophia~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0918 Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Bryan Armentrout's display: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) All lights on, ran the laundry, even used my miter saw (I finished baseboarding the master bedroom!) for a bit, but had a crisis. The washer stopped while the dryer was still running. Also listened to Beethoven's 9th since it would take up the whole hour rather nicely. (edit: could not type my way out of a paper sack tonight; fixed the most obvious typo) Edited March 29, 2009 by Steve D'Ippolito Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatlander Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I turned on all the lights in my house. Turned on my plasma TV. This being Saskatchewan, it is still chilly so I turned up the thermostat for my natural gas furnace to a comfortable 75F. And otherwise continued to live my life as normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake_Ellison Posted March 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Penn Jillette had a funny tweet about it, though te reference might be a bit local this late in the game: pennjillette: Well, it's around the time of the goofy "Earth Hour." The big question in Vegas is will Donny and Marie agree to dim their teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intellectualammo Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I'll be having dinner with friends this evening, at their place, so I'll turn all my lights on at 7:30 when I'm leaving, and they'll stay on till whenever I get home. I've already got the timers set on the dishwasher and washing machine. I've got a wine cooler that I don't normally use because it's too noisy--it's just gone on. The one switch I'll be turning off is the "Power Save" setting of my laptop! I forgot to leave my light on at my apartment before I went to work at the hospital tonight, but just before earth hour, I was moving a bed from a room in 4PCU down to a unit room in 3ICU and I saw the engineer down there with his light bulb cart. I went by it, because I had to get that bed down the hall there first of course, but when walking back he was taking out 6 big florescent bulbs from his cart and I talked to him for a bit since he's a buddy of mine, and he told me he was going to install them in the units across the hall. That's when I noticed the time - about 12 minutes before earth hour. He'll have them in and burning bright just in time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Ironically, a severe thunderstorm raced through our area, and my power was out from 7 pm to 12 pm. Damn weather manipulating Hippies! It's a conspiracy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Bryan Armentrout's display:...Good show. That's what we should do next year... make it visual through photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils_Advocate Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) ...so I'm supposed to turn off all my lights, return to a pre-industrial standard of living, trade in my house for a straw hut, my lights for candles, my car for a buggy, and encourage others to trade in cities for villages, leaders for shamans, and civilization for the environment? Hmm......right... How about, instead, I make myself popcorn with my 1100 Watt Microwave, get a cold drink from my fridge, relax in my house, turn on lights so I can see, and watch a blu-ray movie on my super-hi-def TV and stereo sound system?! Edited March 29, 2009 by Devils_Advocate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllMenAreIslands Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 For starters, I left the lights ON at work, when usually at the end of the day I turn off the lights in the room, and at the end of the week I turn off my printer, my monitor and usually the computer as well. At home, we had lights on, heat on, and we were busy with our computers going, the TV, and we were making a cake!! I love the idea of making a photo display next time. Apparently in Toronto there were some areas that experienced a power surge around 9:15 and the people were without power when they turned on their stuff at 9:30. I'm hoping that will change a few people's minds about whether they want to live permanently in the dark (which is what I think this is all about anyway.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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