Saving the Earth by Plunging It Into Darkness

The enviro-wackos are at it again. This time the inanity comes under the name of "Earth Hour".

As described on the site run by the World Wildlife Fund, the organization promoting this nonsense and whose own website obscures their organization's actual name behind the acronym WWF:

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights.

Demonstrating once again the liberal tendency to prefer symbolism over substance, they have now turned this "protest" into a "vote" (and they even use the word "symbolize" in the process!):

A global event created to symbolize (emphasis added) that each one of us, working together, can make a positive impact on climate change...

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming..... Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes.... It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

So we're supposed to turn off our lights (all of them) and sit in the dark for an hour so we can feel good about "doing something" to fight AGW. Why just lights? Why not turn off the heat or the air conditioner? Unplug the TV and the computer -- they use power even in the idle mode. Your relative in the back room using the mechanical ventilator? They can get by without it for an hour, can't they?

WWF is hoping for a billion people to participate in this tripe to send a message that something more serious must be done to avert this tragedy. Meanwhile, what kind of message is being sent by the other 5 billion people (a number I note that is 500% greater) who are not participating in this dog and pony show?

If you have a house, like mine, with 14 rooms (counting hallways as rooms) and each room is lit with the equivalent of 4 100 watt lightbulbs (an overestimate based on my house), then turning off all these lights is going to "save" 4 x 14 x 100 x 1hr = 5600 W/hrs, or 5.6 kWh. Replacing only one of these bulbs with a CFL bulb which you run only one hour a day will "save" the same amount of electricity in only a little over 75 days. Or 4.8 times as much electricity over 1 year. For each bulb you replace, multiply the savings by the number of bulbs. Since most CFL multipacks come with 5 bulbs, buying and using just these 5 bulbs would save in one year 24 times as much energy (134 kWh). For those of you deluded enough to actually believe in this AGW nonsense, which action would have more of an effect on reducing AGW? Changing out the bulbs, naturally. But without making the big symbolic "statement". And if you've already changed out all your bulbs to CFLs, then just how much of a statement are you really making?

I however would only advocate changing these bulbs if you want to save the money on your electric bill, though I haven't taken the time to see if the extra cost of the CFL bulbs ever gets recouped. I suspect that it would not. But then, since the incandescent bulbs are being phased out anyway......

Let's make a mockery out of this ridiculous example of political theater. "Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth" -- Horse rot! "Leaving them on is a vote for global warming" -- no, leaving them on is an act of defiance, a shout to the heavens and all who will listen that you have not bought into this doomsday farce.

On Saturday March 28, 2009, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM (local time), I encourage you to turn on every light in your house. Turn on every device you own that uses electricity. Turn up the heat or turn down the air conditioner. Light a fire in your fireplace. Leave your relative on the ventilator. Start up your car and let it idle in the driveway for that hour. Lights on bright of course!

Join me in my protest! My house will be the one you can see from Mars.

Addendum 3-17-09: I am not the only one decrying the insanity of this idea. James Hudnall takes on Earth Hour and AGW at Big Hollywood Blog. And let's not forget eSurance and all their enviro-wacko ads. It was one of their commercials that turned me on to this scam (pun intended). Boycott them, please. What has environmental politcal correctness got to do with insuring cars anyway?