earth hour - 27.3.2021- how useless is that?

[kwackers]

I think earth hour does it's job.

Folk take these things in isolation and individually they are pretty pointless, but taken all together they do create an underlying buzz of acknowledgement.
There's no doubt that since the OP wrote the first post that folk are much more aware.

I'm rather hoping the virus (the "event") will help encourage folk to WFH, appreciate the outdoors, travel less, consume less.
It *could* be the best thing that ever happened to us as a species...
Fingers crossed.

[carpetcleaner]

Caroline Lucas still takes unnecessary flights across the Atlantic.

I'll worry about saving the planet when those who are most active in telling others to do so take action themselves.

Here is a link from the Daily Mail. I know some of you don't believe what is printed in this paper but I couldn't find the story in the Guardian. Not hard to understand why.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... erica.html

[661-Pete]

Well, she won't be doing that now, will she!

Would you insist rather, that Caroline were cut off from her son for all time? Of course, at the present time everyone has to suffer that.... We have relatives in the USA, and yes: we did take long-haul flights to pay a visit, a few years ago. And they sometimes come to us. Needless to say none of us will be doing that for the foreseeable future.

There is no other practicable way to cross the atlantic. Greta's option isn't for all, admittedly; and the only passenger ship regularly making the crossing, the Queen Mary II, has been shown to have a bigger carbon footprint, per passenger, than a fully-loaded aircraft. This may be about to change, given time.

Yes I wish it were otherwise. So, I'm sure, does Caroline - and every other Green supporter.

Incidentally, I do believe quite a lot of what's written in the DM. What I don't like is the populist slant they give to so many of their stories. The selective digging out of angles of a story that suit their agenda. Also I think the sidebar (on the website) of scantily-clad females is unnecessary (I'm a bit too old to be 'entertained' by this sort of thing! ).

[Cyril Haearn]

There is another way, freight ships, I posted about this a while ago, co2 0.85 kg
One has to bend to the whims of the economy mind, the vessel left three days earlier then planned

Read the dm article, ms lucas apparently refused to answer the question
Wonder how she looks now 'beauty parlours' are shut
Is her expensive makeup suitable for a greenperson? I think not

[fullupandslowingdown]

Well, she won't be doing that now, will she!

Would you insist rather, that Caroline were cut off from her son for all time? Of course, at the present time everyone has to suffer that.... We have relatives in the USA, and yes: we did take long-haul flights to pay a visit, a few years ago. And they sometimes come to us. Needless to say none of us will be doing that for the foreseeable future.

frankly yes. He chose to move to the states. I very nearly emigrated there myself with wife#1 but thankfully it all went down the tubes before the move. I knew at the time that I'd have little opportunity to gad about back to ole blightly if I did. Figureheads and spokespeoples need to lead by example. Despite having work out of town more often than in town, I have managed to reduce my annual car mileage to less than 6000 miles. By walking or cycling to shops etc, I "save" my miles for longer trips too difficult to arrange by our UK's rubbish public transport.

I have mixed feelings about HS2 whether it really will result in less CO2. As said in that thread, we all need to reduce journeys by re- structuring our whole lives. I would love to work entirely within cycling distance, keep fitter, save money, and probably time too. If I had school age brats, I'd send them to the best of the nearest schools, and home tutor them if necessary to fill in any deficiencies.

I'm a keen walker as well as cyclist and truly miss the Highlands. I didn't go last year because of a leg injury, and this year it's out of the question. But if I was going, then I'd be looking at how I could use the train or bus. The idea of all these carstools driving around on the pretext of getting exercise in remote locations, is barmy. The police should be setting up roadblocks and whenever they pull over in particular the boyracers, give their cars a thorough going over with the CUR book. Immediate impounding for any deliberate infractions such as big bore exhausts ( sect 54) lights designed to bleach out the rear numberplate at night (sect 43 VER act) and more than a few others. Make them walk home - if they wanted exercise then lets give them it.

[Cyril Haearn]

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 often 24/7/365

How useless is that?

[Tangled Metal]

Earth hour, what's that? Totally missed that one. Nobody at work had heard of it. Is it a guardian reader thing or something like that? Serious question because I watch the news, read the news from several sources and don't recall much being made of this.

[Oldjohnw]

Because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

It was begun by WWF 15 years ago and is followed by millions around the globe. Nothing to do with Guardian readers although some presumably participate.

In WWF’s own words, it doesn’t purport to be an energy saving exercise but is symbolic. It supports a commitment to change beyond the hour. Incidentally , UNESCO supports it.

[Cyril Haearn]

Could well be a spoiler launched by opponents to try to discredit energy saving. That is the most plausible explanation I can think of.

[simonineaston]

Its a sad, disturbing and awful fact that the very example of Australia is waaaay more effective a reminder than a symbolic PR-type "hour"... I read about what's happening down under and I feel two things - with what's going on down there, I wonder why climate chaos isn't at the top of the agenda at every meeting & every discussion any time, everywhere... and secondly, I thank the good lord above (if there was one, I would), that that sort of stuff ain't happening here - yet!

[Ben@Forest]

It's been Earth Year already, energy production and consumption crashed in Q2 in 2020 and according to the BEIS was still considerably lower than normal in Q3. Our consumption of jet fuel was low and looks like it's going to continue to be so for a while yet. Use of electricity at home increased though.... hope everyone's claiming their home office allowance .

[uwidavid]

It's interesting that there has been no noticeable change in the (exponential?) rate of increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

[kwackers]

It's interesting that there has been no noticeable change in the (exponential?) rate of increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

Interesting in what sense?

From what I've been reading it looks as if a lot of the stuff we assumed would have helped have been taken up elsewhere.
Without eco tourists for example wildlife took a far greater hit last year than ever (and we assumed lockdowns would have helped).
Forest fires poured vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.
It was one of the hottest years on record, permafrost continued to melt, heat affected plant growth, etc etc.

The only realistic way to measure CO2 is as a trend, smooth out the hiccups.
Point to point comparisons are fairly meaningless.

[Tangled Metal]

Because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

It was begun by WWF 15 years ago and is followed by millions around the globe. Nothing to do with Guardian readers although some presumably participate.

In WWF’s own words, it doesn’t purport to be an energy saving exercise but is symbolic. It supports a commitment to change beyond the hour. Incidentally , UNESCO supports it.

The use of guardian readers has become representative of a type of person usually left of centre, middle class and into modern, fashionable causes. The right calls them woke but I hate that phrase for many reasons.

The fact I mentioned that my colleagues and I had never heard it is indicative of the fact that perhaps it's a form of signaling to particular types rather than any real use. If it was a right wing thing dogwhistle would be used but I don't know what the left wing version is, perhaps a kind of virtue signal.

Millions out of billions know about it. Bet many of those were very aware of the issues before the hour thing too.

I'm just very cynical about the gimmick-ation of important issues.

[Mike Sales]

Earth hour, what's that? Totally missed that one. Nobody at work had heard of it. Is it a guardian reader thing or something like that? Serious question because I watch the news, read the news from several sources and don't recall much being made of this.

I have seen nothing about it in the Guardian. They do have a long article about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods today.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/25/traffic-wars-who-will-win-the-battle-for-city-streets