Posted on 03/27/2009 1:27:25 PM PDT by ReformationFan
Mississippi is joining the ranks of states whose cities are observing Earth Hour.
Select businesses and government buildings in Tupelo will be dimming their lights in observation of Earth Hour this coming Saturday at 8:30 p.m. local time. Tupelo will be joining cities around the world that have pledged to participate in this event designed to curb carbon emissions and bring awareness to so-called "manmade global warming."
Travis Hunsicker is the sustainability director for Tupelo and the main organizer of the local event. OneNewsNow asked Hunsicker what his stance was on the issue of climate change.
"Um, really, I steer clear of the subject in general, to be honest with you. It's a very sensitive issue -- and scientists, whether it's the [IPCC] or here locally, I haven't read a concise report that declares that climate change is as serious as the media makes it out to be," he admits. "Now it may have adverse effects 10-to-15 years down the road. But like I said, that's not my expertise."
Seeking out a city leader who might have an understanding of the issue, OneNewsNow asked Tupelo Mayor Ed Neely -- who fully supports the upcoming local observance -- about his stance on climate change. "Uh, I think anything that affects our environment is a big issue," Neely says. "I'm not smart enough to know the answers about global warming."
To get some answers, OneNewsNow turned to the country that started Earth Hour -- Australia. Viv Forbes, chairman of the Carbon Sense Coalition, says the notion that carbon dioxide is dangerous and needs to be curbed is ridiculous.
"All of [the manmade global warming theory] is based on computer modeling. It's not based on science; it's not based on observed past records; it's not based on observed relationships. It's based on computer models," he contends. "And the models are based on assumptions -- and guess who puts the assumptions in?"
For those who are skeptical about manmade global warming, an alternative celebration is being held during Earth Hour. That event, called Human Achievement Hour, is designed to celebrate the technological achievements of mankind that have improved the quality of life for humans. Participants of Human Achievement Hour will celebrate by reading by electric lights, using their cars to go out to eat and watch movies, and enjoying an evening with their families while keeping the lights on.
Michelle Minton is a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which initiated Human Achievement Hour.
"And now the way I looked at Earth Hour, when you boil it down, is that it is not so much pro-earth as it is anti-man, anti-industrialism, [and] anti-human achievement," she notes. "So we wanted to point out the hypocrisy of this one-hour event by having our own event in which we appreciate the things that are the products of human innovation like lights, television, radio, cars -- all these things that we consider to make life easier to live."
However, Viv Forbes believes Earth Hour is a necessary event.
"Earth Hour, it's got another benefit. It's going to let people know what the future may hold because if we persist in trying to generate our electricity from windmills and solar panels, we are going to go into a world of brown-outs and black-outs," he says. "And every night at 8:30, when everybody turns on their coffee machine to make a coffee, the lights will go out. Because they might not have noticed, but there is no power from the sun at 8:30 at night. It's usually quiet and there is no power from the wind either. So Earth Hour is a good dose of what the future may hold."
I know my old hippie neighbors will do this so I’ll be sure to leave everything on and open my windows so they will see it.
I shall make it a point to turn on every light I can get my hands on on Saturday night.
“Earth Hour” = Idiot Hour.....except that stupid is forever.
For one hour? Pffft.
Me, I'm turning mine off ALL DAY LONG tomorrow.
This really makes a big difference.
Is that 8:30 PM, no matter what time zone? I just want to know so that I can turn on every light in my house inside and out, at the right time.
A warning to people in northern Arizona. I’ll be driving around in my SUV from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. that night WITHOUT my lights on! Be careful out there! I lub da enviomen!
Did you read the complete article?
So-called indeed.
Don’t forget to start your vehicles and let them idle for an hour. I might even go to Dollar General and buy some cans of hairspray to shoot.
What a bunch of bleepin’ marooooooooooons these fools are......
I am going to close my fridge door so the light goes off - the rest of the house, including the flood light on my American Flag will be shining bright.
I remember when they did this last year and right as the hour ended, some of these city’s power grids spiked, everything turning on at the same time actually caused more electricity to be used versus just leaving it on.
Well if all those people just kept their electricity use to zero from now on- look how much energy that would save. I have already done my part. We didn’t have electricity until I was 12 years old so I am carbon friendly and have credits built up or whatever tha crazies claim it is.
It make a big difference to liberals because they value symbolism over results.
Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
"And now the way I looked at Earth Hour, when you boil it down, is that it is not so much pro-earth as it is anti-man, anti-industrialism, [and] anti-human achievement," she notes. "So we wanted to point out the hypocrisy of this one-hour event by having our own event in which we appreciate the things that are the products of human innovation like lights, television, radio, cars -- all these things that we consider to make life easier to live."
Same here. I'll also fire up my charcoal grill to add to the festivities.
Sounds about right; most of what the whackos do turns out to be worse than if they had done nothing. It’s all just feel good motion. When their gurus Gore, Edwards, Kerry, et al live in mansions that waste more energy per month than most people use it is hard to take them serious.
If I were you just to be on the safe side, I'd just leave everything on from the time you get up until you go to bed, that way you should hit nearly every time zone.
It is so silly. I saw the article where the UN will save over $80,000 by turning out the lights for 1 hour. I bet we here could figure out a way that the UN could save that much money every single hour of every day.
Great! I missed the opportunity last year. All the lights will be on, including the high power security lights, and we’ll go out to eat.
Human Achievement at its best.
I’m boycotting. I might mow my yard after dark with all my lights on.
I wondered on an earlier thread whether that might happen.
Of course we all know what a paradise they've created there ... what a bunch of libtard environmental idiots these people are.
Never heard of a lib who couldn’t get excited about thoroughly meaningless symbolism.
Ummmm.
OK.
Idiotic, so-called?
Is that better?
Just how many businesses and government buildings were going to be open on Saturday night at 8:30 anyway???
ridicorus
Whoever wrote that article is a fool
At that rate, it means the UN electric bill is on the order of $700 million a year.
This is an ideal way for Hollywood/rock star/elitist types to do something for the environment without actually doing something for the environment.
Good one :).
I would love to transport all libs to North Korea to experience “paradise on earth.”
Earth Hour?
Did anybody ask Mother Earth about her opinion/permission?
Totally silly, petty symbolism to help people’s feelings.
Let’s see if any enforcers visit when all lights are blazing!
Do I take from your testy post that you believe in manmade GW?
Isn’t the U.N. shut down for repainting or something?
That was the last scene in Atlas Shrugged, wasn’t it?
We marvel now at how prophetic Rand was.
Heck, with all of that extra electricity not being used it sounds like a good time to try out the new Christmas lights for next year. I want to thank the people of Earth day for providing me this opportunity.
I haven't yet figured out how to turn them off. They come on automaticly at dark. I know there's a way, I just haven't bothered to find it.
I think I’ll turn on every light in the house, every appliance, run every power tool I own (and I own a lot) and idle all 6 of my gas-guzzling cars for an hour! Sure it might cost me a couple of buck, but it’s my money (for the time being).
A few lamers will turn their lights off. This is so stupid it is a howler
Me too!!!
MEGoody says “Erin, dye your hair a realistic color.”
You must be as old as I am.
Hope the weather is nice so I can fire up the flood lights and the grill on the deck.
I didn’t have electricity on the ranch where I lived until 1965, I was 9.
Tammy could even be younger than me. Out west, where things are rural, it takes a while to catch up to the rest of the Nation. THANK GOD!
Now THAT would be fun! What would be even more fun is to start a fake “Carbon Protest” movement, with website, spokespeople in every city, etc., advocating “Just Flip Your Switch!”. Lots of helpful advice on how to locate your panel, pictures of typical panels and main breaker switches, etc. And to lend credence to the liberal credentials of the movement, I'd have some right-leaning groups attack the movement, as well as some liberal ones defending it. Anyone claiming that “Flipping Your Switch” is a bad idea that is fought with potential problems would be viciously attacked with fabricated studies, fake statistics and bogus information. (I mean, really, why should we conservatives let the liberals have all the fun making stuff up? Let's learn to use their own main weapon against them. After all, being ignorant and gullible, it would be like taking candy from a babe.)
Now wouldn't it be a hoot if we could trick several hundred thousand ignorant, gullible liberals into “Flipping Their Switch”!
I'm practically falling out of my chair right now laughing at the thought.
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