Earth Hour 2009 – Where Will You Be When The Lights Go Out?

by Tammy Plotner on February 20, 2009

With less than six weeks to go, more than 500 cities around the world have officially agreed to go dark in support of global action on climate change. On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., local time, World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour — Earth Hour — to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate their commitment to finding solutions. Step inside and find out how you can become a part of this historic event…

Wherever you happen to be in the world on March 28th at 8:30 p.m., you’re likely to find a city or community somewhere nearby that is making plans to turn out the lights for Earth Hour – a global goal of 1,000 cities! WWF’s initiative aims to increase awareness about climate change and demonstrate that people from all over the world care about the issue. “Climate change and what we do about it is going to transform the world much more rapidly than people realize.” say Richard Moss, Vice President and Managing Director for Climate Change. “It’s my goal to get us moving to a world we will want, not one we’ll regret leaving for our children and grandchildren.”

Before you start knocking “Earth Hour” as something that just won’t make a difference, take just a moment of your time and watch this, please…

And now, here are some highlights of what’s going on around Earth Hour 2009 as we count down the days…

NASHVILLE: Earth Hour launched in Music City with a musical press conference that included live performances by Nashville superstars pledging to turn out against climate change.

THE STARS AND STRIPES ARE ALIGNING: Houston, TX; Santa Rosa, CA; St Louis, MO; Sarasota, FL; Minneapolis, MN; and Valdosta, GA signed up to be part of Earth Hour 2009. They join Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City and San Francisco.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU ANNOUNCES HIS SUPPORT: “Climate change is the greatest human induced crisis facing the world today. It is totally indiscriminate of race, culture and religion. It affects every human being on the planet. Earth Hour is an opportunity for every man, woman and child from all corners of the globe to come together with a united voice and make a loud and powerful statement on the issue of climate change.”

BACK TO MY OLD SCHOOL: The University of Miami became the first American campus to officially sign up to turn off, but was quickly joined by Michigan State, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of Virginia, Belmont, Columbia, Ohio University, Howard University, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Spellman, University of Missouri, St. Louis and Vanderbilt.

I GOT THE POWER: 10,000 college students from across the nation will converge on Washington DC on February 27–March 2 for Power Shift ’09, asking for “bold, comprehensive and immediate federal climate action.” Earth Hour Project Director Meg Pearce and Campus Organizer Sophie Latham will be there holding a special session on how to be part of Earth Hour 2009, the largest global climate event in history.

CITY OF LIGHTS TO TURN LIGHTS OFF IN SUPPORT OF WWF’S EARTH HOUR 2009: Paris—known as the City of Lights—will lead a list of 28 cities and towns across France that have committed to join the world in making a visual vote for decisive action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour during Earth Hour 2009 on March 28th.

LAS VEGAS FLICKS THE SWITCH FOR EARTH HOUR 2009: Officials from World Wildlife Fund joined Clark County, Nevada Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, City of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman and City of Henderson Mayor James B. Gibson at the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign to officially kick off the Las Vegas Valley’s participation in Earth Hour–a global event calling for action on climate change.

For now? Be sure to visit the Earth Hour website, where you can sign up to show your support and find all kinds of wonderful tools and ideas on how to motivate your community, school, family and friends to pledge just one hour of their time to darkness and become part of this global event.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar…Earth Hour is March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm. Be there with us when the lights go out…

Tammy is a professional astronomy author, President Emeritus of Warren Rupp Observatory and retired Astronomical League Executive Secretary. She’s received a vast number of astronomy achievement and observing awards, including the Great Lakes Astronomy Achievement Award, RG Wright Service Award and the first woman astronomer to achieve Comet Hunter's Gold Status. Be sure to check out her new astronomy observing book - Night Sky Companion 2012!

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  • Neil

    sounds like a bunch of hippy bullshit

  • http://www.culturalconscience.com Farcall

    ROBBI: My age? I make no secret of my age. If you’re not too busy multi-tasking on 3 “puters”, I will let you do the math yourself since you like ‘stats so much. I was 10 years old in 1956. Can you subtract?

    You have been an education, I will say that. At first I though you and Jackson must have comprehension problems. But no, it’s much worse than that. It is a fundamental dishonesty problem. Like someone facing an IRS audit you throw all the figures at them, all the paper work, in an effort to overwhelm and hide the truth.

    Doesn’t work with me, Flash. You give yourself away as: A follower of Human Events
    and either a far Right, and basically dishonest wing nut, or a so-called Ronnie Raygun Democrat. Your whole argument, as others have observed, is politically motivated. it’s also very *selective* of it’s “facts” and you are a lemming in the Rush Limbaugh – Anne Coulter disinformation campaign.

    You gave yourself away when you first asked me something like – what would happen if there was no Sun? I said the Earth would be a frozen ice ball, which it would. Then you start crowing how I don’t understand the Suns effect on the Earth’s weather.

    This is a form of “mental judo” Neocons love to play where they change the obivious meaning of a question into something else in an effort to shore up their remarkably dishonest answers.

    So, Human Events. Hummmm. Lets take a look at their “Ten Most Harmful Books Of The 19th and 20th Centuries”

    1) The Communist Manifesto.

    2)Mein Kampf

    3)Quotations From Cairman Mao

    4)Kinsey Report.- My, that speaks volumes.

    5) Democracy And Education by John Dewey

    6)Das Kapital – Marx. I can only imagine how *that* must rock your pathetic world view.

    7) Feminine Mystique…I know, women were far happier and more fulfilled when home, barefoot and pregnant, right?

    8)The course of Positive Philosophy.

    9) Beyond Good And Evil

    10)General Theory of Employment, Interest And Money by Keynes.

    Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring may be said to have gotten an Honorable Mention, and many felt Darwins “Origin Of Species” should have made the list, too.

    I would ask you how many of these books you have actually read youself, but I would no longer trust your answer. You, by your question to me cited earlier, have already shown honesty is not your strong suit.

    I have read numbers 1, 2, 3 – Mao had a really nifity idea that the United States, the Soviet Union, and China should combine forces to take over the entire planet and than divide it between ourselves …”And then there will be peace”. End Quote. Instead, the Neocons felt we should take it over ourselves.
    I’ve also read 4, 6, – I understand what prompted Marx to write that, which I doubt you do, part of 7, and all of 9. Also I’ve read, I think, everything Darwin has written.

    Whuch goes right back to something I said earlier. Global Warming Deniers and Evolution deniers are the birds of a feather that flock together and they do it the same way.

    Both like to throw out *odds* and *figures* and *stats* to prove, or disprove thier favorite thing to hate. Truth has nothing to do with it, only political ideology. And like Darwin’s Finches, I have your feathers, ol’ buddy and I know your species of dodo.

    And, since you love NOAA stats so much, here’s one for you. This January was the 7th warmest on record since records started being kept in the 1880′s. Ocean temps were the 8th warmest since record keeping started. Imagine that! Even after I said it was one of the coldest Januarys we’ve had in a while. Now stop multitasking for a while and try to comprend this.

    1) their talking about *trends* not what it has done at this or that location across time.

    2)NOAA is one of the leaders of Global Warming research and their conclusions are *Humans* are the leading cause of it for the last few decades

    3)They have a really massive report about it on their site under “Research” . Sorry I don’t remember the title, but perhaps you could “multitask” over that way and look for it yourself. And they seem really concerned about the sea levels and the rate of sea rise.

    Enough of this! Since I have seen your deliberate attempts to distort the truth I take a pass on any further comments to you. I am not governed by political idealogy but by truth, and the truth is, as NOAA says, humans are a major cause of Global Warming across the last few decades.

    Ignore it all you want. Sling your stats all you want and snow people who can’t see through what you’re doing.

    I still have problems believing a person who *seems* intelligent and reasonable would go to such lengths to deny actual science in favor of vomiting political philosophy, but you have proven me wrong.

    You should read every one of those 10 “evil” books. They might blast the bedrock of your mind, and let a litle light in. “Dangerous” ideas do that.

    As Thomas Huxley said: Life is too short for the slaying of the already slain.

    Rest in Peace.

  • robbi

    For someone who should know better, you sure are stupid.. What ocean are you talking about, the Arctic!!! I read none of those books as you must like those ideology of commi or nazi. I don’t have to distort truth, besides, I have brothers who are older than you and told me their findings. Accusing me of being a Ronald Reagon democrat, ?!?!?! I guess you must love Leonid Brezhnev.
    You must not have read my ealier feeds about many climatologist and scientiist working for NOAA as they produced their professional papers describing ‘Global Warming’ is a natural occuring thing-well, the militant ‘Global Warming’ militants made so much heat on NOAA and with possible harm that NOAA was forced to fire these people and no-one at NOAA would dare say anything about ‘Global Warming’ as they need their jobs. I said on earlier feeds the Earths climate was warmer during the times of the Vikings, what caused this, did they use HYDROCARBON boats? What caused the little ice age about 1600-1800-mostly the Sun, however, you don’t want to listen to someone who is not on any side but just
    saying the facts-however, if you want me to get to the side of the opponents of ‘Global Warming’ it will be awful bad for you!!!!!
    What ‘SELECTIVE’ readings you want to read about climate makes me laugh.
    I guess you are jealous as I retired at 55yo and now make more money than retiring as a Network Administrator, Security Unit, Hardware and Software- I made sound investments and a good retirement system while you must still work because you did not know how to save!!! Your accusation of calling me a Ronald Reagen Democrat, or I
    listen to this pompous Rush Limbaugh is so far from the truth I have to say, U MUST BE PRETTY STUPID-such accusions can get you into legal trouble!!!!! I have far more important things to do then trying to bash you over the head with a baseball bat to get into your head you have a one track mind-perhaps you need a couple bashes on the head to start thinking rashonally but I may accidently kill you so I will get back to other more important things

  • http://theastronomer.tripod.com Tammy Plotner

    wow… there’s some pretty profound stuff going on in here.

    for those who think that turning off the lights for an hour is as pointless as a candlelight vigil – or as insignificant to a global effort as spitting into the wind – take a look at these pages. if just reporting that “earth hour” is coming up and giving you the time, date and option to participate can cause this type of response from so many highly educated people – image what what happens when hundreds of thousands of people around the world show their support by actually turning off their lights for an hour?

  • robbi

    Farcell- I used to be a ‘middle of the road environmentalist’ but got out when their ideology was getting to the point of militancy.
    As long as they have the large gas-guzzling SUV and nothing will hamper their pampered lifestyle-they will try to deny the common populous ideas and production of items to better humankind.
    I am for cleaning up our land of tainted products dumped years ago caused many
    areas unsuitable for habitation or production of foodstuff, this will take decades and cost a few trillion dollars but has to be done. To get funds from this very important issue to an area where the Earth can in 12 hours undo what humans will waste trillions trying to lower the ‘high CO2′ shows me you still don’t respect what’s under your feet. Do you think you live in an Earthquake proof area? Think again, Earth will do what it will do to get itself into balance and doesn’t care about pesky humans or their religions.Perhaps a 9.5 earthquake willl hit the upper midwest only once every 1000 or so years but when?
    A study has been found if all human activity stops using petroleum, coal, autotravel,airtravel , anything using fossil fuels, for 150 days, the Earth will get back to what it was before the industrial revolution.
    However, very few will be fortunate enough to
    have a 150day supply of food or water, there will be no electricity except for the fortunate ones getting their power from hydropower….-we are now an urban Earth, most peoples lives in hugh metro areas, how is the food going to get to the people who requires the food for 150 days.- this is not a good idea because of the logistics-something to think about.

  • robbi

    Hi Tammi, I am having fun, I will turn off all lights for that 1 hour, thank you for the Globe feed, I will participate with the studies of
    getting humankind to stop wasting energy with poor lighting, causing light pollution on Earth Take care

  • robbi

    Farcell, if I were you, I would be very careful about posting your websites, if you read what I retired as, I can be awfully dangerous as a hacker and know a network of hackers!!!
    It will not take me long to locate you and you ISP and I use GPS to zero in on you, and will have an image where you live and will post it on the net!!!!!!!! -however, I am not of that mindset!! I will leave you alone!!!!!
    If you can tell me what caused the Earth warming during the Viking age and what caused the cooling during the ‘little ice age’ from 1600-1800, I will make this my last post on this feed, however, should you try to attempt to give me some BS about this and that again, well,…………………………………..
    EOM.

  • robbi

    Farcall- I lied-California is now nearing 40M
    people and with it comes the issue of water
    and power. So far, central California and the mountains has 3years 95% of the people uses up 10% of Californias’ 158k Sq Mi of land and the population will grow to 50 million by 2025.
    Desaltination plants are expensive water and people in Southern California needs the water!!!!! California is now approching the populations of many European Countries but the European Countries generally has about the most dependable rains on Earth and rivals the dependable precipitation of NE US.
    I been throught Indiana, I had a class in Indianapolis for a siminar/class for a new Database we installed in our Dept. The population in Indiana has not really rose since the fall of the rust belt !!! So , you don’t know what problems we have here!!
    If they decide to continue building Auburn Dam and some militant environmentalist trys to stop it by having a human chain, they will be shot!!!
    We need the water- WAKE UP!!!!!

  • robbi

    addendum it should have read has 3 years of below average precipitation. There was 6 years of relative drought from 1987-1992 then the rains started and California had the wettest decade of all times,dispite the early 90s being quite dry. In the 1970s the Auburn Dam project was stopped by environmentalist and the reservoir will be 4.2M acre feet of water. California only had 21M in 1970 so it was not that important althought the worst drought known hit the entire far west 1976-1977 and was difficult.
    Now, with 3 years of drought, there is now
    pressure to continue building Auburn Dam about 50 miles E of Sacramento, even the environmentalist has reconsidered!!!!! 95%…………….

  • Alex Jones

    I will NOT join this “earth hour”.

    My personal reasons, brief and succinct:
    I got an education in mathematics and physics.
    I have read a lot about weather, climate, etc., including hard core scientific literature, and I am able to understand it.
    I have come to the conclusion, that there are risks, and _something_ has to be done.
    With too many statements of the IPCC, the WWF and their allies, a lot of fanatics and lunatics among them, i do _not_ agree.
    Turning off the lights for one hour is not appropriate to achieve anything, it is nonsense.

    And: The official earth hour video, Nashville musicians, Desmond Tutu, 10,000 college students, etc., etc. — come on, don’t mess around with me.

  • robbi

    Alex Jones-I’ve read alot of historic weather and historic climatology and into astronomy.
    I agree with your statements about the IPCC,WWF and their allies-somehow, they got hold of NOAA and forced them not to make independent papers about their findings. The Earths weather will do what it will do, and the Sun will do will it will do to affect Earths climates. To spend trillions of Dollars on something the Earth can easliy undo is beyond reason.

  • http://EarthHOUR hannah corbiere

    I AM

    DO TUER OFF MY LIGHTS

  • http://earthhour2009 morgan hall

    hi
    my name is morgan i am 8 years old
    and i will try to remember to shut off my lights

    thank you for reading to my mesage

    morgan hall

  • Gabby

    Iam Gabby and I will do my best to help the planet by turing off my lights on Earth Hour day think about the planet

  • Dan

    I will be watching movies on my NEW BIG screen TV during Earth Hour and consume gobs and gobs of electricity. Oh yeah, microwave popcorn all day long.

  • Ulysses

    This has GOT to be the biggest waste of time and energy in recent memory. It’s a poltical blackhole of leftism and idealism that has not only failed, but failed miserably, leaving it for pragmatists to pick up the pieces and to make the genuine changes that were needed.
    Education is a good step but it has to be backed with LEGITIMATE SCIENCE and a real-world appreciation for the challenges necessary to make those changes possible; not ‘feel good’ moments that have little practical value.
    The Environmental movement, and the science behind climate change and global warming, is very uncertain (despite what Al “I invented the Internet” Gore says) and it is questionable whether or not fossil fuels alone are truly responsible for the changes we’ve seen in the last 20 years. Sure, it’s become ‘gospel truth’ among many, but then so was fears of impending “Nuclear Armageddon” was 25 years ago. That never happened but not because of some nutjobs in the Alberta wildnerness trying to stop Cruise Missle testing, but because sustaining the Cold War and communism, economically, proved impractical in the long run.
    History doesn’t turn on idealism, it turns on pragmatism and real-world approaches to real-world problems. That, and not ‘Earth Hour’(s) or ‘Earth Days’ or, heck, ‘Earth Years’ will be our salvation, not turning off your power. Infact, I think such events actually trivialize the need to conserve energy and fossil fuels, as well as the environment by turning real world needs into events only suitable for bleeding-heart liberals and other assorted lunatics.
    Still, if you want to live in the dark for an hour, go ahead. I’m keeping the lights on as always and doing my part to help the planet by recycling, driving less, and mowing the lawn…once the snow and ice melts of course.
    Talk about an ‘inconvenient truth’ eh? (;->).

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