Earth hour is STUPID.

By Zellio Posted March 29, 2008 03:15:56

I use solar powered outside lights, leds for inside lighting, I'm switching to 15 seer and above air conditioners, I turn off my pcs after use, I use only low powered flat panel screens, energy efficient pcs (except for my core 2 duo 8800 monster, I gotta have it man :X), energy efficient appliances, X10 home automation for lights to keep power low, irobot vacuum for lower power use, and programmable theomostats.

My sister drives a car with 36 average mpg. My mom drives a car with 26, my brother 25. I drive a 36 mpg car.

Guess what? Earth hour is a pile of crap. Your not fixing a problem, your only having a bunch of people with incandescent lighting turn them off.

Here's an idea. Get more energy efficient stuff. Then the energy problem won't go for an hour, it'll go for good.

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What is Earth hour?

how is earth hour stupid when you are helping the planet you are living on? without it you would not even exist.........

fuzz earth hour is when everyone turns their lights off for 1 hr, at a unison time and day,date ect....

while the basic concept of earth hour is sound, i do believe that it's just to make a bunch of people feel good about themselves. If you want to make a real difference don't just have an hour in which to turn off your lights, make it something you just do without thinking, 365 days a year. if your not using it, turn it off.

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Why? Just withdraw the sale of ordinary light bulbs in favour of energy saving bulbs. Or you can do it yourself and replace all your bulbs.

The saving over normal bulbs is about 80%. Given the average use of a 100W bulb x no of hrs x no of bulbs, the annual saving of an energy efficient equivalent is £50 per year. Turn off all your lights for an hour (how many do you have on at once?) might save 40p.

They also last a minimum of three times as long.

Change all your bulbs now. Don't bleat about how expensive they are, just look at the money you are saving!

That's my point. Earth hour doesn't fix anything, it just has people turn off their lights for an hour.

What good will Earth Hour do in 2 years?

People need to change their habits NOW. Buy energy efficient things NOW.

I have 6 cree led lights. I paid $25 each.

I have 4 seouls. Paid $30+ for each.

I have 4 prism spotlight leds. paid $50 for the whole package.

I also have 30+ crap leds from dealextreme. I use them in areas like bathrooms where a combination of lights can give decent lighting.

Don't be stupid. Don't believein this Earth Hour nonsense. Every day is Earth Hour, and every hour you don't use eneergy efficient stuff, your abusing the planet.

You may say I've paid alot for my leds and my x10 home automation, As I've paid over $400.

But even then, I've saved $50 per month.

Most of my lights use 2-6 watts. My bathroom, which once had 4 120 watt incandescents (ugh), now uses 4 2 watt leds.

I live in a 3 story house, and pay $180 per month for energy bills.

THAT IS PRETTY DAMN GOOD.

In a year I'll have made my money back and then some.

Lets do the math.

1440 minutes is the amount of minutes in a day (24x60).

Lets say your the average person with 30 or more lights.

Lets say you use 60 watt incandescents.

your using a total of 1800 watts at any point.

Lets say you leave them on every day, except one hour.

1440-60=1380. 1380x60=82800 seconds in a 23 hour day.

82800x1800= 149040000 watts used total when counting every second you use 30 lights.

Now lets count 13 watt flourescents. 24 hours a day.

1440x60=86400 seconds in a 24 hour day.

13x30=390 watts every second.

86400x390=33696000 of watts used total per second.

Now lets count an average 3 watt led. 24 hours a day.

3x30=90.

86400x90=7776000.

So for 30 lights, used every second, you get:
149040000 for 30 incandescents, used 23 hours.
33696000 for 30 13 watt flourescents, used 24 hours.
7776000 for 30 3 watt leds, used 24 hours.

Now lets say all you have on is one lightfor every second of the day.

82600x60=4968000 for one incandescent, 23 hours a day.
86400x13=1123200 for one 13 watt cfl, 24 hours a day.
86400x3= 259200 for one 3 watt led, 24 hours a day.

Lets give one final twist.

A 60 watt incandescent on for only 1 hour, versus a 3 watt led on all day.

3800x60=228000
86400x3=259200

I use energy-saving bulbs in all my lights (except for the porch...I have a yellow anti-bug light out there). I turn everything off (including my PC) when I leave. My girlfriend and I own one car together, a little Dodge Neon. I walk to the mailbox and the local corner store. I try my best because we do only have one planet.......

That's good. Do what you can, every day, not just one hourl, and then call yourself green.

Honestly, it sounds to me like Earth hour will do more harm then good.

Fools will do this for an hour, go back to their old lifestyle, and then say they helped the planet.

If you check my math, using an incandescent for just hour is nearly the same power usage as using an led the entire day.

If you ask me, EVERY DAMN FOOL WHO IS PLANNING ON TURNING OFF LIGHTS NEEDS TO SPEND THAT HOUR WITH THEIR LIGHTS OFF, AT A STORE BUYING LEDS OR CFLS.

That's the only way it would truly be 'Earth Hour'

Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to take the "I'm just one person, what difference does that really make?" attitude towards this.

Make the change to environmental friendly living. Tell you friends, family, and neighbors. Get involved. As cheesy as it sounds, one person can make a difference.

But Zellio, you know a "feel good" measure that accomplishes nothing is much better than actually making changes that make sense, right?

I've noticed something about "greenies", the loudest ones seem more willing to "make a difference" than change the way they live themselves.

We accusing me of not doing anything?

I'm ready to back up my claims. Here are some of my lights, proving switching to leds means you don't gotta lose style or lights.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg151/Zellio2008/SUNP0004.jpg

This is a traditional 4 way light. It's not all led, I could only fit a 14 watt small cfl at the top. Made it white.

The light pointing to the bottom is a 5 watt cree.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg151/Zellio2008/SUNP0002-1.jpg

This is a paper lamp with another 5 watt cree in it.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg151/Zellio2008/SUNP0006-1.jpg

That's the kitchen, with a 195 led 310 luminence light hanging over it.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg151/Zellio2008/SUNP0007.jpg

That's the bathroom lights. Their 50 luminence, 24 led lights. Not too bright, but the combination is okay.

I've never heard of Earth hour. I guess it hasn't caught on in the states.
I have to agree with Fuzzy about the light bulbs, I changed mine when they first came out. That's been a few years ago and I have yet to have to replace one.
As for the car I drive...I trade them in for a new one when they run out of gas.

One thing I gotta admit....

All of my lights are either floor standing or paper... made to make my leds look brighter then they are :\

I've never heard of Earth hour. I guess it hasn't caught on in the states.

Same....I had no idea what he was on about. :X

I belive Nimbin hit it square on the head...

it's just to make a bunch of people feel good about themselves

That's what "most" of the environmental ideas are really about. So people can say, "I helped the environment today." And then, they get on their power drain pc's and tell everyone about it, and leave the pc's on when not using it...blah, blah, blah

One hour is a stupid concept. It does the same thing as peoply boycotting gas for a day...nothing. If you want to save energy, you have to make a concentrated effort to do it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Period.

except for the porch...I have a yellow anti-bug light out there

You bug racist.

* I zubed people

peoply

For those of you who don't know what Earth Hour is and what its trying to achieve and you're bitching about your lack of knowledge, just Google it and read the results. Simple, really. I'm not going to elaborate here any further.

Zellio, while I applaud your measures, I think you missed the point of what Earth Hour is all about. It is not, as you say, stupid, not in the slightest. It is more about educating the masses on efficient use of power. While the 'hour' might seem token to you and others, I believe it effectively communicates the idea in a simple way.

Ted, just so you know, this isn't some 'Greenie' campaign.

I'm so glad to see you all doing your part, that allows people like me to use cheap incandescents and leave 'em on all the time, just as I do my computer, television, and space heaters, especially when taking long hot baths after washing my car with non biodegradable soap and lots of water.

Thanks! Now I don't feel so guilty!

Why? Just withdraw the sale of ordinary light bulbs in favour of energy saving bulbs. Or you can do it yourself and replace all your bulbs.

Cos I'm going to kick 15 shades of living shit out of the arsehole who thinks fluorescent globes are more environmentally friendly than incandescent.....and while I'm at it I'll shove my effing expensive dimmers down his throat till he chokes.

Wanker environmentalists get up my nose. They do it cos it's TRENDY....something to emote over on a Sunday morning over Cafe Latte.

I argued in the 1970s how fucking stupid it was that the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works PROHIBITED/BANNED/OUTLAWED the use of rainwater tanks in their jurisdiction....on the second driest continent on the planet.

Fucking morons.

Now the quasi-wankers think we don't need desalination....why?...cos they are up each others' arses mumbling rain-dancing as a solution? God knows.

If you want to CURE environmental issues....quadruple the cost of petrol.....make alternatives economically desirable/viable. Charge by weight for ALL rubbish collection/removal.

Prohibit excesses ...particularly housing. No-one needs a 76 square house. [that's the largest I'd been commissioned to do....the smallest was 5.25].

Ban those ridiculous 4WDs [SUVs] .....they are NOT necessary....even builders don't need them....just tell your dog to walk.

Public transport should be FREE. It will actually pay for itself with the reduction of road users [cars/trucks]...where every death and injury reduced has never been factored into 'savings' to the community.

The damn problem is Architects [when not wanking each others' egos] have always wanted change...both societal and environmental .... but none has the balls [or position] to do anything of global [or local] significance.

What do I do?

I swear at effwits like the MMBW and call them hypocrites for now legislating the REQUIREMENT for water conservation [tanks] [too bloody late you dickheads].

I stick with small, sensible cars ....all to date were second hand....and as for fuel efficient...even in the 70s my Spitfire got 44mpg on a run ...and that's a sportscar.

This "Earth Hour" is a simple social awareness thing....a reminder...about as genuinely beneficial as those LiveAid concerts.... all feel good and sobering....but if it weren't for the singers/groups who'd have bothered?

One day people will wake up and ask.... "where are we going, and why are we in this handbasket?" .....

Jafo

Member No.23

Holt Schmoley, Batman, mark this day on the calendar and declare it sacred and special, Jafo and I actually agree on something.

It happens.....

Live long enough and just about anything can and will....

Dynamaso:

It is more about educating the masses on efficient use of power. While the 'hour' might seem token to you and others, I believe it effectively communicates the idea in a simple way.

Ted, just so you know, this isn't some 'Greenie' campaign.

yeah, just like that "Earth Aid" concert. At least we got some great music out of that one. This just left people in the dark.

"Yeah, I went without power for a whole hour! Look at me world!"

Meanwhile were having scams like "Ethanol mandates" and "Kyoto" rammed down our throats, even after they've been proven to be ineffective.

You want to save the world? How about figuring out something that actually works!