World landmarks go dark for Earth Hour

Yuck. Makes me want to turn on as many lights and appliances I can.

@Steven Perhaps you can organize a day when everyone switches on every electrical appliance they can find in protest. We can call it 'Blow a fuse Day'.

Iconic landmarks and skylines were plunged into darkness on Saturday as the “Earth Hour” switch-off of lights around the world got under way to raise awareness of climate change.

Pretty silly idea actually. If the goal is to really turn off the lights and get people back to some sort of eco-nirvana again with mother nature then people being people will resort to burning wood again and we'll end up with deforestation and smog like you've never seen in the past as the result.

It's already happening in Greece. Recent headlines:

Smog hits Athens as cash-strapped residents choose fire over fuel

Bad news for austerity-stricken Greeks is also proving to be bad news for the environment – specifically the air quality in Athens.

Wood has soared in popularity, with many of the city’s residents using it to heat their houses, after an increase in duty has seen the price of heating oil double in two years.

http://www.euronews.com/2012/12/29/smog-hits-athens-as-cash-strapped-residents-choose-fire-over-fuel/

Pretty silly idea actually. If the goal is to really turn off the lights and get people back to some sort of eco-nirvana again with mother nature then people being people will resort to burning wood again and we'll end up with deforestation and smog like you've never seen in the past as the result.

I'd disagree. I think there's a middle ground between those who have a naive desire to return to some idyllic age (read: when life was hard and people died) and those who turn on all the lights in the house just for the heck of it.

We certainly need energy sources to drive the economy and our standard of living (which almost everyone aspires to) but there is a lot of wastage of energy and it does have a concrete impact on the environment. Reducing waste isn't going to go too far to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels in the near term, but if nothing else, reducing energy consumption reduces demand on the power grid and saves some money in the process. Sometimes all we need is a little reminder.

You can't turn back the clock... we are an advanced race, we have power and we have a need for power. If these people want to live in a kind of stone age, then let them, but please don't let them force their views on the majority of people on this planet.

If the goal is to really turn off the lights and get people back to some sort of eco-nirvana...

we have power and we have a need for power. If these people want to live in a kind of stone age, then let them

It isn't about going back to any sort of eco-nirvana (can't go back to something that never existed), nor it is about living in a stone age. It's about appreciating the power we have and using it appropriately.

And yeah, the people who want to turn on all the lights in the house just for the heck of it deserve a good hard slap up the back of the head followed by a week of candlelight, then maybe they'd have a better appreciation of what they are so eager to waste.