Earth Hour

[tari]

Since this undoubtedly will fall in the middle of some critical March Madness game again this year, I would probably be putting my life in jeopardy by participating. (DH is quite the sports fanatic.) I will turn out all of the lights outside of the one we're in, though, but we pretty much do that every night. I've also replaced most of the bulbs in our house with compact florescents, so we try to keep electrical consumption at a minimum.

 

[rockcat]

Originally Posted by kluchetta

I'm sorry, and this response should probably be in IMO. But someone telling me to shut my lights off makes me want to run all over the house and turn on every light possible. Sorry.

Normally I like to conserve. But I don't want to be told what to do...

I don't like to be told what to do either, but I didn't take it that way at all. I took it as an encouragement to conserve and to help others be encouraged to conserve.

 

[gingersmom]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

^

As I said earlier, people shouldn't need something like this to know to turn their extra lights off anyways. ...now if only my neighbors would learn that their porch lights are unneeded at three am - they shine in our bedroom windows.

You do know that is very bad for your eyes, right? I have to have a light on or my eyes burn and feel like they want to pop out of my head. It's something to do with eye strain and reduced blinking in a darker room making my dry eye worse.

It is not bad for my eyes, it actually reduces MY eye strain. Might be bad for your eyes, but it is easier on mine, and I always make sure I am blinking.

Having a light on while I am in front of a computer makes me squint and gives me headaches. It's even worse in an office environment where there are overhead flourescents.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by GingersMom

It is not bad for my eyes, it actually reduces MY eye strain. Might be bad for your eyes, but it is easier on mine, and I always make sure I am blinking.

Having a light on while I am in front of a computer makes me squint and gives me headaches. It's even worse in an office environment where there are overhead flourescents.

Believe what you wish, but it is very well known that it is harder for one's eyes to focus under lower lighting. This isn't debatable at all, look it up if you do not believe me. Go ask any optometrist even.
Blinking is automatic - thus when a person is more concentrated on something the amount of times a person blinks in a minute decreases. This happens whenever one reads, watches tv, uses a computer, etc, it can't be helped.
The strain you feel from fluorescents has to do with the type of light they emit - most emit a lot within a more harmful (to eyes) blue range. Combine this with the fact that they are overhead and you get glare

And there's a very good reason for pointing this out. Everyone is urged to conserve, but don't harm yourselves in the process! People tend to take their eyesight for granted (the same with hearing and many other things you rely on day to day) never knowing that something can easily come along and mess it up.
It's put more in perspective for you if you have eye issues yourself or know someone who does. For example, I have a friend with a rare genetic disorder who could wake up blind tomorrow... she's thankful for everyday that she can still manage to see.

Since fluorescents have been mentioned a few times in the thread - I've always wondered something. Do they truly conserve energy if 2-3 times the amount of bulbs are needed to light an area that takes less incandescents? And if anyone tries to say it doesn't take that many, why do stores and office buildings use so many tubes (a question I had to ask myself the other day while cleaning out bugs...

).

 

[yam102284]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Since fluorescents have been mentioned a few times in the thread - I've always wondered something. Do they truly conserve energy if 2-3 times the amount of bulbs are needed to light an area that takes less incandescents? And if anyone tries to say it doesn't take that many, why do stores and office buildings use so many tubes (a question I had to ask myself the other day while cleaning out bugs...

).

Because there's a difference between fluorescents and compact fluorescents. Usually the fixtures in office or store building with the long tube lamps are just regular fluorescents. (They do make some that are energy efficient but I don't see many people using them.) And those have more lamps because they are a bigger fixture. Compact fluorescents are the lamps that are low wattage. In a typical lamp for home, I find that I can use the same number of CFL lamps and it will give me the same light output as a regular incandescent.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by yam102284

In a typical lamp for home, I find that I can use the same number of CFL lamps and it will give me the same light output as a regular incandescent.

Ah, but can you paint under them? I find the light too weak and off in color not matter what the type of fluorescent it is. But never mind me, I really dislike fluorescent lighting and wish they'd find something better. Personally I wish more places would use sky lighting for daytime lighting.

 

[yam102284]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Ah, but can you paint under them? I find the light too weak and off in color not matter what the type of fluorescent it is. But never mind me, I really dislike fluorescent lighting and wish they'd find something better. Personally I wish more places would use sky lighting for daytime lighting.

I've never tried painting under it so I can't help you there. They have started making different lighting fixtures and strips with LED lighting. I like they way they look. A rep brought in a sample fixture for us to see, and it looked pretty good.

 

[rubsluts'mommy]

I love halogen lamps... they're bright, compact, and give decent light. For daylight, I know at my work, we have Daylight Lamps. My understanding is that they're as close to the daylight spectrum as artificial light can get. They're expensive, though... so I don't own one... yet. I also currently live in a cave of a dwelling... Must .... have ... natural ... light!

As for the original topic... I also take it as a suggestion. Sometimes a little peace away from the white noise of TV and daily crud we fill our lives with is healthy. If I could see the stars from my patio, I'd do that... but there's too many street lights here. Maybe in Reno. Maybe I'll yank them all out of the house that night and make 'em look at the stars.

Amanda
~A~

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by yam102284

I've never tried painting under it so I can't help you there. They have started making different lighting fixtures and strips with LED lighting. I like they way they look. A rep brought in a sample fixture for us to see, and it looked pretty good.

LEDs are great with the amount of power they use and their life - but again, you have to watch out for blue light in the white and blue LEDs. I suggest people look up blue light hazard, it's a bit interesting.

O/T but I consider safe lighting important.

 

[momofmany]

Originally Posted by Tari

Since this undoubtedly will fall in the middle of some critical March Madness game again this year, I would probably be putting my life in jeopardy by participating. (DH is quite the sports fanatic.) I will turn out all of the lights outside of the one we're in, though, but we pretty much do that every night.

Tell him the TV lights up the room enough and you don't need extra lights on during that time. I usually turn the lights off when the TV is on anyway. The room has that movie theater quality to it.

DH and I are good about turning off lights when we aren't in a room. If one of us slips up, we have the perfect right to complain to the other that the other one was slacking.

 

[capt_jordi]

I want to point out that this is about a lot more than turning out a light. It is also about unplugging those vampire appliances. Microwaves, computers, tvs ETC.
And while yes some of us do go around turning out unused lights there are lots that dont, and lots and lots of businesses that dont! Thats part of getting the word out, so not just homes do it.
We usually have the living room light on and our tv and computers but nothing else in the house. I have problems if its too bright because one of my pupils doesnt dilate correctly and it causes bad headaches so I like for it to be dim but my room mate does not... oh well!

 

[enuja]

I'm truly terrible about lights: I often leave them on while I'm sleeping. However, when I followed that link, I saw that the city I live in (Irvine) is participating. That makes me want to go take a walk at 8:30pm, because the lights are so excessive and annoying, and it would be great to talk a night walk in the dark around here. Sometimes I read as I walk home at night, because there is enough light to do so! Unfortunately, even though Irvine is participating, I expect that they consider sidewalk lighting (yes, little lights every 20 feet on the side of the sidewalk!) necessary for safety. Ugh.

I recently bought a wind-up flashlight: I should have bought a wind-up lantern, so I can turn that on next to my bed as I read or whatever when I go to sleep, so I'm only wasting my own muscle power in light when I fall asleep without turning out the lights.

 

[momofmany]

It's already started in some places of the world. Just bumping this up to remind the folks in the U.S. East coast starts in 30 minutes.

 

[kittybernard]

I'm not & will be demonstrating my protest otherwise by turning on every lamp & appliance as well as firing up a bunch of flood lights.

This is what I posted on my Myspace site:

Earth Hour

I'll be one of many calling BS on manmade global warming and global socialism by turning on every single light..

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511102,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510937,00.html

..as two of Al Gore's employees are still held hostage in North Korea undergoing "intense interrogation" (not to mention); somehow their situation has (supposedly) never bothered him enough to express so much as a simple acknowledgment in any of his many appearances or acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.

http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.co...oyees-are.html

 

[catlover19]

I chose other. At about 8:45, we went to get ice cream and they were participating in earth hour. After that, we were driving home so we didn't have any lights on.

We never have extra lights on in the house. I always watch tv and use the computer with the lights off.

 

[kluchetta]

Originally Posted by kittybernard

I'm not & will be demonstrating my protest otherwise by turning on every lamp & appliance as well as firing up a bunch of flood lights.

This is what I posted on my Myspace site:

LOL. we just got home. I'm feverishly turning on lights now.

 

[wellingtoncats]

We did it at work so I don't see why everyone can't (JMO)

I work in a kitchen and we advised all the customers what we were doing - Toilet lights were off, neon lights were off out the front, all microwaves and milkshake machines were off and 50% of the main lights too

I got home 5 minutes before it finished and even scooped kitty litter trays in the dark!

 

[capt_jordi]

we did. My sweetie and I used it as quality time.

I dont understand why people are protesting it. If nothing else it will knock some money off your electric bill! Not add to it by "protesting..."

 

[natalie_ca]

I didn't know it was "Earth Hour". I would have turned off my lights and TV.

 

[kittybernard]

Originally Posted by capt_jordi

I dont understand why people are protesting it. If nothing else it will knock some money off your electric bill! Not add to it by "protesting..."

There are a bunch of news links in my post (with various reasons) that explain my stance.

I predict this whole thread might be moved to IMO?

There is so much more behind Earth Hour and how it effects the entire world. We'll definitely see what is accomplishes on a socialist level after the climate change meeting. Additionally, I am just so sick of others romanticising gimmicks like Earth Hour, which is nothing more than a "one hour penance"*. When it comes to saving the earth, saving the starving, the homeless, those dying of treatable illnesses, etcetera - not to mention with Garbage Island (that is twice the size of Texas) still gathering in the Pacific Ocean - "it's the thought that counts" does not apply, makes no difference and does not save lives. If someone really wanted to accomplish all of those things, they'd be taking up a 100% pro-active lifestyle, living unselfishly - rather than unnecessarily - every day, not 'sacrifice' a simple hour & then resume our daily lives.

Turning on all of my lights was simply a demonstration of protest just like Earth Hour is a protest. And while the demonstration ended after an hour, my pro-active protest will never end, just as no one elses' should when they feel conviction for their own particular beliefs.

*This is the best article I've read thus far that really hits the nail on the head: http://nebuchadnezzarwoollyd.blogspo...-gimmicks.html . It's a very good to-the-point read!