earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?

[Cyril Haearn]

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

[Jdsk]

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

[Bonefishblues]

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.

[kwackers]

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

[Bonefishblues]

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.

[Mike Sales]

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.

[Jdsk]

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

[Mike Sales]

https://nightblight.cpre.org.uk/

The CPRE on light pollution, with an interactive map.

https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/

More maps on dark skies.

[kwackers]

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.

[Oldjohnw]

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.

[Mike Sales]

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.

[kwackers]

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)

[Jdsk]

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

[kwackers]

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]

I remain convinced there will be 2 states: before the watershed and after - see illustration

oh dear...