The Ojai Post

great another video on how to save the planet..thanks eva!

I'd say #1 is definitely not following comment policy and I've already tired of seeing it on the home page.

Yea Evan! stop being such patriarchal meadow muffin

In honor of Earth Hour I did not turn on any lights when I went to walk my dog about 7pm. By the time I got back it was dark and I almost fell and lost my footing taking a shortcut through the field that goes to my house since I forgot my flashlight and there were no outdoor lights on to guide me. I had to go pee really bad and while I stumbled around looking for the light switch I had a little accident. So then it was about 8:15 and I decided to visit a friend. He lit some candles and insisted we not turn on any lights for an hour. I wanted to read an article in the New York Times so he brought me a battery operated reading lamp. He found a bunch of camping lights and used one for taking a shower. We looked around the neighborhood and it looked like most folks had their lights on like normal... but I hope it was noticeable in big cities...

Click the link EarthHour.org in the article above--lots of cool photos...I think it said 3 billion people participated...or maybe that's what I hope I read...

I didn't really know what Earth Hour was all about, as described by that website..... just knew I had to participate..... so turned everything off around 8:25, including TV and computer.... but now, what to do for the hour??

I decided to go outside and see who else was participating. In the condo complex where I live there are 8 units, and only one besides mine was dark..... and I could see that the lady who lives there was not home because her car was gone, so even she might not have been participating on purpose.... On top of that, all the outside lights on the condo were blaring away as usual...

So I walked up and down the street, about three blocks in each direction. Street lamps were on full force as usual, and most houses had lights on. About one house in ten was completely dark. On purpose? who knows.

I came back home and sat in the dark and thought about, What does it all mean? Even as a symbolic event, a gesture of solidarity with others, Earth Hour did not seem to be working. Finally I decided it was an exercise in discovery, (self- and otherwise).... and that made it all worthwhile.

Later I read about some right-wing bloggers bragging they were going to turn on all their lights and appliances during Earth Hour in retaliation for the whole global warming hoax and the evil Al Gore who is just trying to make tons of money by fooling everybody......

I had similar thougts/observations. Maybe Earth Hour is like other symbolic green gestures, like "A Day Without a Bag," (where people take canvas or cloth bags to the store) a "Car-Free Bike-to Work Day," or "The Great Meat-Out," (where folks give up meat for a day.

It reminds us of the impact our daily actions have on the Planet. Hopefully we are more mindfull in the coming days.

Alas, my friend who was insistant that for one-hour we discipline ourselves and turn off the lights, was back living with all the lights turned on again within an hour after EarthHour. Me (being the Saint that I am) am forever turning off the light switches or dimming the lights at his house whenever I can...

(I hope he doesn't read this!...)

Think of the energy we would save if we followed Rosie and Tillie's example...go to sleep when the sun sets and rise at dawn...

Rosie and Tillie and me....went to bed when the sun set and rose at dawn. Didn't even turn on the radio for that hour.