Sunday 1 April 2007

"Earth Hour" - Please explain!


The bullshit surrounding "Earth Hour" has left me bewildered. Well-meaning people have been sending me emails about this major event for weeks. For what? For businesses to turn off their stupid lights in the middle of the night, for one hour, and to then turn them back on again, afterwards - IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. What's the lesson learnt there?

The News.com.au (the Daily Telegraph's website) reported that:

"Australian actress Cate Blanchett, Labor MP Peter Garrett, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd attended a function at Mrs Macquarie's Chair and watched the city skyline go dark."

It went on to describe the reaction of Sydney-siders to the event:

"People lined the harbour foreshore for the event, applauding as lights across the CBD and the harbour blinked out one by one.

"Many hotels provided candles to guests as they switched off and star-gazers made the most of the opportunity at Sydney Observatory.

"Pubs promoted dining by candlelight and a speed dating in the dark event and special skywalks were held at Sydney Tower, the city's tallest building."
*****
There's Sydney's true reaction for you - "speed dating in the dark".
An opportunity to try and grope a stranger in the dark, legitimately.

P...LEASE !!!
What was the best pick-up line, I wonder?
The Earth is f..ked, you might as well be too?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

But don't you see, Denis, now they have all done their fair share and more for the climate!

Denis Wilson said...

Silly me!
I thought the whole point was getting some Stars on the television.

Denis

Anonymous said...

sorry guys but i have to disagree slightly....
i think incremental changes in the mind set of people in relation to any change is worth working at!! From a purely practical point of view i am sure that the Earth Hour event achieved no measurable success. But it does get us to think about this issue, to focus upon it and plant the seeds of change. Sure... politicians or various people will jump on the bandwagon but i am realistic enough to know that such symbiotic relationships are not without merit (just look at nature which does the same thing...I'm sure there must be beautiful flowering plants that live off manure and waste (i.e. the politicians ...lol)
The fact is we are not going to make a perfect clean change overnight...but the more we can raise this issue with the general public (and the more they can feel that they do have a sense of political self empowerment...the grass roots actually making pollies jump...) the more the politicians WILL jump... we can see that now even with Howard has had to back peddle in relation to the environment of late....

Come on guys...a bit of optimism otherwise why bother at all???
if people feel like there there is no hope....then they DO give up..and this is exactly what we have to work on: the apathy that is born of probably many things..but fear that that they cannot do anything to make a difference is certainly well and truly in the mix.

Anonymous said...

quote from "anonymous" -"i think incremental changes in the mind set of people in relation to any change is worth working at!! From a purely practical point of view i am sure that the Earth Hour event achieved no measurable success. But it does get us to think about this issue, to focus upon it and plant the seeds of change."

I agree. If it gets Joe Average to think about the subject, to broaden their minds and plant the seed of question in minds, then it might just be worthwhile.

Regards
Gaye

REMEMBER: "IT IS BY BEING QUIET AND POLITE CITIZENS WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE IGNORED"