I have both the heating and air conditioning on, every light, every TV, and all my roommates' game systems on.

I should be able to use all the energy I want if I'm prepared to pay for it. This is a meaningless gesture, this "Earth Hour" of yours.

No it isn't.
If I controlled my own home I would do it.

gotta be honest invictus, you sound like a typical american jackass

Lol you noticed, Sic?

Well, to be fair, Sic, you sound like a typical punk-ass anarchist. But we are a wonderful cast of characters on this forum, filling our niches, aren't we? :)

It just frustrates me when people get caught up in the idea that turning off the lights will do anything to solve energy problems.

People can do whatever they want to, but this is a silly idea.

Forget that, the NCAA tournament was on

turning the power off isn't going to do anything the power plants are still producing the power weather it is used or not. you are just wasting more by turning every thing else off

can we turn off php diplomacy too please?

now why would we want to do that

Oh I'm not under any illusion that turning off your lights for a few minutes will do anything except maybe make you feel better if you're stupid.

That said your (invictus) insistence on doing exactly the opposite calls the image to mind of the rebellious college student, getting piercings and pissing off daddy.

Wait a minute, americandiplomat?

Sounds suspiciously like Diplofool1824

Saying that it won't do any good is like saying that holding up a piece of posterboard on it outside capital hill won't do any good. You miss the point. It's symbolic.

and signs and chants wont do anything except maybe make you feel better if you're stupid.

symbols are powerful I will grant you that. but some have been drained of all meaning.

It seems that this thread proves that americandiplomat is not diplomat1824.

diplomat would have posted a thread about how his ultraconservative views prohibit him from ever turning off the lights.

Also, the power stations do get turned on and off as power use rises and falls. Furthermore, if you think it is a meaningless gesture, Invictus, in what way is turning everything on any more than a meaningless gesture?

Yes, but it has to be a major change in power use for the power stations to alter the supply, and it's not just a momentary "flick of the switch" type thing.

However, (I'll probably get slated for this) but I for one think this earth hour is a good idea. Obviously as a one off it won't make any difference, but what if loads of people were to do it regularly? Such a decrease in demand would result in a decrease in supply. Not such a bad idea after all, it's just not on a large enough scale.

hmph, what has earth ever done for me ?

when was the last time earth supported me into belgium ?

no way, I will turn everything on, destroying this planet, killowatt by killowatt

Enjoy your electricity bill then ;)

Earth offers to support me to ruhr wen we play gunboat games... :D

"Awareness" is overrated. Global warming is a serious problem that should be addressed with serious action, though I'll be the first to admit I'm one of you lazies who switches to fluorescent light bulbs an turns off all my electronics for an hour to "do my part".

Global warming will be solved by technological innovation by motivated individuals and corporations and by appropriate government regulation to curb the environmental externalities present in most industrial, agricultural, and commercial processes.

If you as a consumer really want to make an immediate difference, it would require abandoning personal transportation since automobile emissions make up the bulk of consumer emissions... turning off your lights for an hour is a relatively token gesture in comparison.

I had a good time playing ancient German music in a viola da gamba duet with my brother by candlelight during our hour without electricity.

saving the planets a big issue...even though i dont like diplomat1824 who is probably americandiplomat

"Global warming will be solved by technological innovation by motivated individuals and corporations and by appropriate government regulation"

reeeeally doubt that

would have loved to have seen that jerkface

Sicarius, have you seen recent technological innovations designed to combat global warming? They're absolutely incredible. Almost none of them will eventually be used because the competition is that fierce and many of them will be rendered obsolete by a new innovation a couple of months later. Sure it will take some choices and awareness by the general public but those choices only exist because of profit-seeking innovative green companies.

Are you really expecting people to give up cars? Or companies to innovate more environmentally friendly cars for people to substitute?

I'm with Chris. I've already cut back personal car use to minimum (primarily through working from home but I didn't use my car in my previous job either).

I try to avoid having lights on unnecessarily, all the bulbs that can be are low energy use, at night I read by candlelight instead of electric (I find it better for my eyes anyway) and, oh, I remember, I'm a vegetarian, thus my carbon footprint is significantly reduced anyway.

I work for a political party that has environmental causes as a central part of its platform, and do the best I can.

I ignored Earth Hour, pointless tokenism that does very little--although, to be fair, making people realise there are better (cheaper) options than perpetual lightbulb use is probably a good thing.

Invictus is right, if he's prepared to pay for it, he should be free to do what he wants. Unfortunately due to the biased economy, he's not paying the full cost, hence pigouvian taxes on externalities should be applied in order to reduce taxes on less damaging or beneficial activities.

Put the tax system right, and then let the market sort it out, companies will innovate and invest if there's a benefit to doing so.

Oh, Diplomat? It was Saturday night, you posted this 1am Sunday my time, pretty much after Earth Hour was over for most of the globe. Better luck next year mate ;-)

what are you talking about Chrisp? there are no technological innovations

all my clocks are electric, when will I know when to turn my electric back on? This could go on for days...

it's like the no-pants perpetua.
if you dont have pants, can you buy pants?