earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
I think some sort of moderate middle action is needed, somewhere in the middle between pulling down statues/destroying police cars and doing a few likes on farcebook
Encouraging people to wear their Christmas sweaters through spring might be worth a try
Encouraging people to wear their Christmas sweaters through spring might be worth a try
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: earth hour - 28.3.2020 - how useless is that?
kwackers wrote:Folk take these things in isolation and individually they are pretty pointless, but taken all together they do create an underlying buzz of acknowledgement.
Agreed. We live in a complex patchy world and there's no reason to expect it to change to deliver what we think is important. At least not immediately or all at once. But attitudes and behaviours do change, and chipping away is often the best that we can hope for.
Jonathan
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Cyril Haearn wrote:earth hour is an "action" to promote energy saving etc
For one hour the lights on Sydney Harbour Bridge for example are extinguished. Then they are lit again and burn 24/7/365
How useless is that?
Having them on 24 hours a day is a disgrace.
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Bonefishblues wrote:Having them on 24 hours a day is a disgrace.
I think that about a lot of lights, shops, pubs, churches and folk who want their houses to light up like pubs.
Should be illegal, not only is it a waste of energy but it does wildlife no favours
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
kwackers wrote:Bonefishblues wrote:Having them on 24 hours a day is a disgrace.
I think that about a lot of lights, shops, pubs, churches and folk who want their houses to light up like pubs.
Should be illegal, not only is it a waste of energy but it does wildlife no favours
Yes, very much the reverse of what Cyril reports of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
kwackers wrote:Bonefishblues wrote:Having them on 24 hours a day is a disgrace.
I think that about a lot of lights, shops, pubs, churches and folk who want their houses to light up like pubs.
Should be illegal, not only is it a waste of energy but it does wildlife no favours
Also bad for astronomers and anyone who wants to see the wonders of the universe in the night sky. I did not quite grasp this until I saw the Milky Way in a remote place.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Mike Sales wrote:kwackers wrote:Bonefishblues wrote:Having them on 24 hours a day is a disgrace.
I think that about a lot of lights, shops, pubs, churches and folk who want their houses to light up like pubs.
Should be illegal, not only is it a waste of energy but it does wildlife no favours
Also bad for astronomers and anyone who wants to see the wonders of the universe in the night sky. I did not quite grasp this until I saw the Milky Way in a remote place.
Wonderful, isn't it? And completely changes your view (!) of how humans saw the heavens for nearly all of our history.
Jonathan
Last edited by Jdsk on 25 Mar 2021, 3:04pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
https://nightblight.cpre.org.uk/
The CPRE on light pollution, with an interactive map.
https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/
More maps on dark skies.
The CPRE on light pollution, with an interactive map.
https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/
More maps on dark skies.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Jdsk wrote:Mike Sales wrote:kwackers wrote:I think that about a lot of lights, shops, pubs, churches and folk who want their houses to light up like pubs.
Should be illegal, not only is it a waste of energy but it does wildlife no favours
Also bad for astronomers and anyone who wants to see the wonders of the universe in the night sky. I did not quite grasp this until I saw the Milky Way in a remote place.
Wonderful, isn't i?. And completely changes your view (!) of how humans saw the heavens for nearly all of our history.
Jonathan
I've got a 10" scope (and some 8*100 binos). I used to take them up to the lakes over the winter because the skies are so dark there.
Even with one's bare eyes it's pretty impressive and even a fairly modest pair of binos in a dark sky area is pretty mind blowing.
Here in Warrington it's not even worth the effort of getting them out - I did make an exception for Mars though.
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
I am fortunate in living in a dark skies area. My daughter who lives in the W Midlands just stands outside at night when she visits.
I do not understand why it is not compulsory for new builds, especially offices but also houses, to have lights that switch off when you leave the room.
When the hated EU, supported by the UK government, brought in maximum wattage for vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, there was a huge outcry in much of the UK press about unelected bureaucrats interfering with our hair driers. Similarly with incandescent light bulbs. How dare they! A few here possibly joined in.
I do not understand why it is not compulsory for new builds, especially offices but also houses, to have lights that switch off when you leave the room.
When the hated EU, supported by the UK government, brought in maximum wattage for vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, there was a huge outcry in much of the UK press about unelected bureaucrats interfering with our hair driers. Similarly with incandescent light bulbs. How dare they! A few here possibly joined in.
John
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Oldjohnw wrote:I do not understand why it is not compulsory for new builds, especially offices but also houses, to have lights that switch off when you leave the room.
The electrician who wired my new cabin fitted an outdoor light by the door which was controlled by a photoswitch, and no other switch!
That is, at night it could not be turned off. I fitted an on/off switch of course. I never use it, so perhaps I should have merely disconnected it.
There is also an external P.I.R. which is triggered by any washing on the line. No off switch but I have not yet found the best place to fit one.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Mike Sales wrote:Oldjohnw wrote:I do not understand why it is not compulsory for new builds, especially offices but also houses, to have lights that switch off when you leave the room.
The electrician who wired my new cabin fitted an outdoor light by the door which was controlled by a photoswitch, and no other switch!
That is, at night it could not be turned off. I fitted an on/off switch of course. I never use it, so perhaps I should have merely disconnected it.
There is also an external P.I.R. which is triggered by any washing on the line. No off switch but I have not yet found the best place to fit one.
Some years ago I made a switch for my garden lights.
They used a photosensor to figure out when it got dark but they could also work out an approximate date from the light/dark 'ratio' so would turn off at midnight(ish).
It's a fairly trivial piece of tech, even more so these days. No reason such a thing couldn't be used instead of simple light sensors.
In my current house outside lighting is part of the automation system, it turns on at dusk and off at midnight.
(Apart from the perimeter lighting which is simply switched)
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
In case anyone hasn't discovered this yet... small cheap PIR solar-powered LED light units are now excellent.
Highly Recommended for steps etc.
Jonathan
Highly Recommended for steps etc.
Jonathan
Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
Jdsk wrote:In case anyone hasn't discovered this yet... small cheap PIR solar-powered LED light units are now excellent.
Highly Recommended for steps etc.
Jonathan
I find them to be a mixed bag. The good ones are good (I have one near my bins and I installed another at my mums). They're about 4 years old now.
The cheap ones have appalling battery management, they tend to run the battery flat in the winter and overcharge it in the summer - as a result you're doing well if you get more than a year out of the batteries and the cost of replacement batteries sours the deal somewhat.
It's pretty crude but the surface area of the solar panels gives you some idea. They're comparatively expensive so if they're prepared to spend money on them then there's hope for the stuff you can't see.
- simonineaston
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Re: earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?
I remain convinced there will be 2 states: before the watershed and after - see illustration
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)