Last year when all the lights on the street went out I turned on every light in my house. My neighbors a few doors down had people over and were drinking wine by candlelight on the porch. One of them came down and banged on my door. I guess I kinda ruined the moment for them. She asked me if I knew it was earth hour. I said yes. Then she said ok and left.
In their defense the are very nice folks and apologized the next day. I just managed to tweak them at the right moment.
You know they are going to try and force us to turn out the lights soon. It will be considered a hate crime against the planet to leave them on during Earth Hour.

Enmax runs ads asking people to avoid the electricity rush hour and wait til lower demand periods for dishwashers and laundry. Cleaning the oven while everyone else is playing "I'm smugger than you" has to be the most energy-efficient thing anyone can do all year.

I see CBC is one of the sponsors.My oven will be on at the critical hour.

I am dedicated to finding every possible necessary use of electricity that can be timed to coincide with earth hour. Some one has to ensure that the generators don't need to be shut down causing unnecessary restarting costs.

I predict that the Earth Hour website will be down for the hour, because they will power it off.

Maybe next year they will power it off Jim Hansens's supercomputer-powering solar/wind-turbine complex, and can keep the site up during Earth Hour in a green demonstration of how effective alternate energy sources that will save those Polar Bears can be.

"Sign-up for Earth Hour and you will be entered in draw to win a trip for two to Churchill, Manitoba to see these majestic bears in their natural habitat."

Their natural habitat? You mean the Churchill dump?

Sadly I will be 700+ miles away in Los Angeles at the witching hour. In my defense I will be traveling by commercial jet instead of bicycle. I guess I'll just have to hire someone to drop by and turn the oven to Clean. Long as he's there, maybe I'll have him run a load of laundry.

I see you can win a trip to Churchill, Manitoba to see the effects of climate change while looking for polar bears. (I bet they don't send them in the winter.) I guess the irony is lost on the CO2 crusaders that a winner from say Vancouver will now be going on a completely unplanned (by the traveler) nearly 6000 km round trip. But then, I'm sure someone will be paid for the carbon offsets.

Good time to run the lawnmower at that time as well as clean the oven. Best of all the Lawnboys a 2 stroke.

I kept by Christmas lights up specifically for this occasion.

Wander how the potential winner is going to get there. Maybe, because it is the project of the WWF, it really does not matter:
1. The fuel that is the scourge of mankind will be used to transport the winner and associated hangers on from the bombastic WWF.
2. Poor white bears will be disturbed by the insensitive intrusion into their habitat by well meaning though somewhat flaky personnel from WWF.
3. The vehicles will make tracks in the snow, can nature handle such disturbance?
4. Can this be allowed to go forward?

I don't know, winning a trip to Churchill to visit polar bears in their natural habitat might be fun.

Will there be wine and cheese served? Can we pet them? Since spring is coming would shorts and a Che t-shirt be appropriate wear or should I bring a sweater just in case?

Soon via smart metering + solar + wind we can all appreciate Earth Hour every few days!

I get all warm and fuzzy remembering the rolling blackouts in California while I lived there. I miss the midday 3 hour "enforced extended paid work break" but the owner of the business did not think it was too funny losing a couple hundred thousand an hour.

You're supposed to clean ovens?

Liberals Dionky and STOPIGGY are co-generators of their website: GLEENSH*T.caca.
It's up for only Zero Hour.

Bammer screams:
There is probably a MAOSTLONG: Turn on your lights; now, go to sleep.

An oldie but a goodie - North Korea, where every hour is Earth Hour.

http://www.paulnoll.com/Korea/History/Korean-night.html

Thanks for the heads up - I'll start planning how to maximize my energy use to save the power grid at that time ;-)

Sadly, our oven isn't self-cleaning :-(

A week in Churchill to watch the polar bears romp in the dump.
So whats second prise? Two weeks in Churchill?

time to fire on all 111 bulbs. I forgot the 4 in the garage door openers on my last count.

Last year everything I could find with a switch was on. Never thought of the oven cleaning practical side of it, thanks. I'll be doing that as well as some high power work lamps and some red flashing lights If I can get them. No noise, just bright things.

Perhaps we should switch over to our back up diesel generator for earth hour and skip the grid all together. Ahhhh an hour in the hot tub ... the lights down ... the outdoor fireplace roaring away ... the soothing hum of the generator ... the smell of diesel and woodsmoke in the air ... sipping imported nova scotia beer and BC wine ... I love my chunk of earth.

Sigh. For the second year in a row, I'm so disappointed with the general response here. I'm not going to be turning anything off for this stupid and pointless publicity stunt, but to purposely waste energy? As an engineer, whose entire profession is dedicated to finding ways to do more with less, this is anathema.

If your oven really is dirty, Kathryn's correct - this is by far the best time to clean it. But waste for waste's sake? Just because other people act like idiots by turning off their lights, you're going to act even more idiotically by wasting energy? Does the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face" ring a bell?

I'm disappointed. Truly, deeply disappointed.

My balcony lights will shine into the rec center where the do gooders are holding a candle light vigil.

Heh, we have a gas range...self cleaning. If we don't clean the oven it's because we'll be cooking a roast, turkey, chicken or something, not sure if natural gas is on the gaia's 'evil energy consumption' list, but anything else we can do to prevent the green goofs from making a fake show 'look good' and messing with the power grid, well we'll doing our part. AND saving my laundry to do at that hour is not a waste, no one likes smelly dirty clothes!

Oh and by the way, since our move to this location about 10 months ago (south-eastern Ontario), we called to get information on what's allowed in the blue boxes since our first leave outs were not picked up.
They've yet to send the information, so we don't recycle anything now. All but the paper/cardboard goes in the garbage. Paper and cardboard is used to fuel the inside wood stove and the outside fire pit for burning up brush an other such things.
And just a little motor oil really makes any fire 'bark' on start up! ;)

Well, my oven really is dirty so I think I'll get that taken care of. And I have some welding I've been meaning to do - after all, I didn't put in the 220v/50amp line fer nothing!

Remember, Kate's default position is sarcasm.

Very, very effective at pointing out the folly - like a real good satire comedy. (Evan Sayet) There usually is much more than a grain of truth in them - more like a truckload !

Well, my oven is going to need cleaning again, and with all this snow on the ground, it's good time to run the lawn more for an hour to make sure it doesn't need a tune up before the snow is gone.

I need to look in the garage with all those lights on too, I believe that also will take about an hour...

Don't polar bears start thier hibernation in the spring?

I'm a cheap frugal guy so every hour is Earth Hour for me, however I will make an effort to completely forget this hour.

The environuts winning the trip to Churchill to see and pet the magnificent cuddly bears are advised that appropriate seasonal attire would be at most a t-shirt and natural hemp fabric shorts, so as to be kind to the bears' digestive tracts.

Gee thanks Brian....I overlooked the welder...got a little job to do which can wait....
I rigged extra outdoor lights last year for the occasion.....I will be doing baking and laundry...then getting back to the welding...I shall have to time everything right so I don't burn the biscuits....
I did this last year....although the neighbourhood (rural) didn't exhibit much participation, I did hear an off the record report that some "concerned" individuals had called 911 because my lights (including the barn lights) were on....ROTFALMFAO...
It's not waste.....it's "making a statement"...

Actually Kate's default position is hate, anger, and insecurity. Kevin said it best, this event is pointless, by so is intentionally wasting energy to spite it.

Gee thanks Brian....I overlooked the welder...got a little job to do which can wait....
I rigged extra outdoor lights last year for the occasion.....I will be doing baking and laundry...then getting back to the welding...I shall have to time everything right so I don't burn the biscuits....
I did this last year....although the neighbourhood (rural) didn't exhibit much participation, I did hear an off the record report that some "concerned" individuals had called 911 because my lights (including the barn lights) were on....ROTFALMFAO...
Last year most utilities in Ontario could not report any reduction in load....most registered a spike....especially after the event.
It's not waste.....it's "making a statement"...

For a more effective, live YouTube video;

The "winner" will disembark the armored Hummer, walk across the snow and hand the fluffy, cuddly Teddy Bear an ice cold Coca Cola !! And no earth bad man will interfere. Let the nature of things take it's course.

Well I confess I had to repair my gas oven last year, as the igniter switch failed. It took me a little time and I had to read the online repair manual, but managed to get the oven to a toasty self cleaning temperature. The only thing left after cleaning was fly ash.

Burning up the documents of Y2Kyoto! Hey that's what fraud artists do don't they? Never leave a paper trail.

Cheers

Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief

1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group "True North"

Nothing i can do abou this - i've never turned my oven on - ever.

For those of you thinking ahead about dinner plans that day, since the ovens are busy,I strongly recommend a nice barbeque(beef). I'm having beer with mine(imported).

What evidence of Climate change are they going to Show? WTF!

I agree with KevinB - waste for waste's sake is stupid and expensive, which is a far worse, being the cheapskate that I am. But, my oven really does need cleaning (but only because I purposely left it til next Saturday), I'm staying home anyway so that's as good a time as any. If it annoys some of the "grand, futile gesture" crowd, well, that's just icing on the cake.

ddt; "Good time to run the lawnmower at that time as well as clean the oven. Best of all the Lawnboys a 2 stroke. "

You'll be lucky if the lawns not under snow still!

Miss Kate; the wife's vibrator is battery powered, does she need to turn it off? ;)

What's with you people? It's a symbolic gesture, just one hour a year. If you don't want to participate, that's fine, but why go out of your way to antagonize those who do?

"If you don't want to participate, that's fine, but why go out of your way to antagonize those who do?"

Fools need to be mocked.

Mainly because it's symbolic of the greatest fraud perpetrated against human kind ever. I am however worried about the oven, I've been saving it for a while and the build up might be enough to have a fairly large grease fire in the bottom. As for the posters complaining that it is wastefull. Energy is used purely for entertainment purposes all the time, ever been to a concert. If some people find this entertaining, then that's their business. It's not my cup of tea, but I'm not the fun police, and neither are any of you.

I'm in. No snow on the turf in Victoria. Lawn is showing signs of life, so, it's time to fire up the 5.0 Craftsman Mower and get 'er goin!

Earth hour, here we come!

The noise will get the neighbourhood's attention.....as will all the lights on.

And for those like Terry, go ahead, turn your lights, heat, and everything else off, and go for a warm and fuzzy walk and kiss Gaia!

It's a protest against the "not settled" theory of climate change/ global warming or whatever the heck it's called now.

I will also be turning on all the lights. My kids will be embarrassed ("Mom, why can't you be like everyone else??"). But then that's what parents are for. To embarrass their kids. And teach them about critical thinking.

If we have an "International Wash Your Dishes" hour, maybe that'll motivate me to finally get around to it (landlord doesn't allow dishwashers)...

Anyway, lights don't use up much energy, actually, even incandescent bulbs. I can tell by analyzing my electric bill which doesn't include heat and hot water (covered in the rent). I find the monthly usage amount, without heat/hot water to be, including everything, just five to seven bucks worth, about 70-90 KwH.

Worrying about lightbulbs won't do a bloody thing. Their use is negligent compared to a lot of stuff, like the oven, which I find causes my usage to skyrocket, seeing as the highest-usage months were the ones in which I put stuff in the oven.

Speaking of lightbulbs, one can now get LED lightbulbs to screw into one's regular, same-old lamps. I actually have one, though it's a one-watter, red (I only found colored ones so far) and really not very bright, but if I don't need a lot of brightness, which is most of the time, I can have the LED light on all night and not care about cost, which is like nothing.

Greenhouse gases? I don't worry about them. They're natural and essential to life, so it's ridiculous to claim that they're going to destroy the world. I'd think that if they were dangerous, we'd be seeing the effects already, but... I see none. None whatsoever. It's all B.S.

We should, of course, conspicuously conserve when convenient and continue to improve efficiency via technology, but only for the purpose of saving money and lessening, hopefully ending, dependence on Islamofascist/Putinist/Chavezian oil. I consider this the conservative approach to conservation.

This will be an excellent chance to check out the accuracy of my Black and Decker power monitor that I have installed on my power meter. It is a nifty little unit that monitors the rotation of the spinning disk in the meter and wirelessly transmits the data to a display unit which shows instantaneous power consumption and total power consumption. Already it's shown me that I don't need as large an emergency generator as I thought since my power consumption is only 1-3 KW/hour most of the time with the 6 computers I have at home accounting for the bulk of power consumption.

I do have a workshop with a large electric heater of unknown wattage and what better a time to measure its power consumption as well as measuring the power consumption of all of the lights in the house.

As far as ovens go, I too was unaware that one cleaned ovens.

So KevinB.As an engineer,or whatever,are you making sure that whatever town or city you live in,are shutting off all their lights?No nasty cops,or paramedics,or firefighters around either,burning all that awful oil getting to your place to save your sorry butt?Talk about hypocrits!!!And BTW,I don't expect to see you on a computer again..gotta save the planet!Or please send pics of your giant fan generating the power to run your computer.The term useless idiot comes to mind for you.

I agree with Kevin B, except that my wife and I will turn off all of our lights as we did last year. A symbolic gesture to be sure (not "stupid and pointless"), since we would normally only have one low-wattage fixture on at that time. Our diet is mostly raw vegan, so our oven never needs cleaning.

Don't get me wrong, I am not being smug or "holier-than-thou", it's just a fact. We are actually conscientious about not wasting electricity every day of the year, just because it make sense.

We can see Calgary's lights on the horizon from our balcony and last year I was somewhat disappointed that there was no noticeable dimming. I can't recall, did consumption actually go up? This year I guess I know what to expect.

Brian,

One engineer to another...it's called load balancing. The thing about large scale power generation is that you can't be cycling a thermal, or even hydro generating plant. The sheer amount of waste energy involved, not to mention thermal/mechanical stresses on the equipment are not insignificant. Likewise, the power spikes associated with this kind of exercise (eco-guilt hour) can have particularly deleterious consequences for aging electrical infrastructures in large urban areas. I suppose though, that if Toronto blew a couple of substations and had to live without the TTC, electric steetcars and lattes for a couple of weeks it wouldn't be all bad...

For those who are concerned about wasted electricity let me assure you that the people who turn off their lights for an hour are the ones 'wasting' electricity. There is not one generating company in the world that would dare shut down a nuclear, hydro, coal or gas fired generator because the demand diminished for an hour. It would take too long to shut down and way too long to bring it back up to capacity when the demand picks up again an hour later. Kate's idea of cleaning the oven actually makes a lot of sense because it would help consume the potential electricity that would other wise be wasted.

Gee Bob, you are quite the guy, living in an expensive suburb in a big house. How do you get groceries..seeing as there is no shopping center within miles?

Where do you get all those raw vegans in the cold months in Alberta? Do you have a root cellar like the old days? Do you and your wife make preserves every fall. Or do you just buy California, Chilean, and Mexican fresh produce like the rest of us.

You know for your life style the BC coast would work a lot better.

Sorry Brian, that was addressed to Kevin.

There are so many special 'Months', 'Days' and 'Hours' that I can't keep track of them all. I totally missed 'National Kazakh History Week' this year, and I can't even think of how many other special events that I've failed to observe. I would probably do my laundry during Blackout Hour in order to take advantage of the drop in peak load. I don't have a self-cleaning oven, though that is one of my planned expenditures in the near future, as soon as the prices crash, since my present range is 30 years old. I guess if the block granny comes around to remind me to turn off my lights, I might remember to load the washer, but otherwise the event will pass by unnoticed, just as it has every year for the past decade, (or however long this 'tradition' has been around). Basically, I just don't care.

Laundry, dishwasher, stove elements & oven, power tools, snow blower,....the hydro meter will be doing a one minute mile! I'll also be replacing any cfl's in my house with good old incandescent bulbs & then leave all the lights on for the evening. Here in chilly Manitoba we need all the ambient heat we can get! The big question now is WHAT TO DO with those mercury laden cfl's?

"Miss Kate; the wife's vibrator is battery powered, does she need to turn it off? ;)" - DaninVan

Good lord man, I hope she uses rechargeable batteries. (and has a spare set charged up;-)

You know, the sipping wine in the hot tub by candlelight sounds pretty good but until I pay my $800.00 power bill, the tub is going to be a mini skating rink.

On a logical engineering perspective, what kind of power demand will we see after the magic hour is up?

Forget the oven, I'm going to find some dirty coal to burn...

KevinB and others. This is not waste for waste's sake. It's a protest, a statement, against the perpetrators of the largest scam in the history of mankind: global warming.

Would you call thousands of people driving their fossil-fuel burning cars, or flying on commercial airplanes, to a protest on parliament hill in Ottawa waste for waste's sake? I thought not.

I've been waiting patiently for the hour to arrive...and saving the plastic bale wrap to light up in celebration...bucket loads lit by a tiger torch.

"A week in Churchill to watch the polar bears romp in the dump.
So whats second prise? Two weeks in Churchill?"

don't be rediculous. Second place is a trip to REGINA.

Horny toad

Let me see, I can run the welder as well as the 3 phase 220v saw in the shop. And in the yard we can turn on the 6-3000 watts halogen lights to lite up the riding ring(and the countryside) Woo Hoo.

Horny Toad

I've taken down my Christmas lights so that I can arrange them on my lawn to form the letters F and U.

The Glengarrian...

Your thinking of "don't set a tire on fire" hour which is on Sept 7 at 7am. This is to use power for spite, not fill the air with partially burned plastic.

Why do the ecofreaks go for easy symbolism? If they really want to make a difference they should have an 'Earth Week'.I predict the smuggies would be in dire straits after a few days,completely unable to cope without their toys and conveniences. After the week was over, the ones who were not cannabilized would be much wiser.The world would be a better place for all,especially the surviving children,and it is all about the children.

Justnotthinkin: Do try to learn how to read sometime in the near future, will you? I wrote "I'm not going to be turning anything off for this stupid and pointless publicity stunt". What part of this was too complex for your tiny little brain to understand? What I said was wrong was purposely wasting energy in an equally stupid and pointless gesture. Better put the beer away before posting in the future.

Sylvia: Have you ever looked at an hourly demand chart for electricity in Ontario? In summer, it's not unusual for demand to peak at 28 MW in the late afternoon, only to fall to 14 MW in the early hours of the morning (3 am). I think if the grid is robust enough to handle a 100% swing within 12 hours, it's robust enough to handle a few idiots turning off their lights. Considering that in March, the largest power consumer in most homes is the refrigerator (and I don't hear anyone participating in eco-hour saying they're going to unplug the fridge), the variability in load is likely to be slight. And, IIRC, last year, the load actually went UP during the eco-hour.

Bob: Maybe because my parents lived through the Depression, or maybe because I have some Yankee blood in my veins, but the old adage "Use it up, wear it out; make it do or do without" was drilled into me as a kid. I don't go around preaching to anyone but my kids about it, but even as a kid in the 60's, my parents would get on my case if I left a room and didn't turn out the lights or left the TV on. After a while, it just becomes part of your lifestyle.

Colin: If this is your idea of protest, "include me out" - it's not only as stupid and pointless as the eco-hour itself, but it's not even organized or publicized, which makes it even more futile than the original lame idea.

My last post on this subject.

We, in our little area of Ottawa, had our very own Earth Hour last week when http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Fire+substation+leaves+without+power/1388505/story.html

Boy, what a Gaia fire!!

Christmas Lights!! Yes, that's it! Great idea :-)

I'm getting my 6 - 1000 watt halogen flood lights ready to light up my back yard while I fire up my coal BBQ while stoking my wood burning fireplace to the max, but will have to keep the windows in the house open because it will be too warm. All lights on of course - kids usually leave them all on anyway. Turn up my stereo with all my hi wattage base boost speakers - no such thing as a party without music. I must remember to leave all 6 cars in my driveway idling. I really like the Christmas Tree light idea that spells out FU, will consider it.

KevinB at March 21, 2009 12:08 PM

I too am an engineer. While I also behave as you generally, understand that this Earth Hour is a piece of totalitarian green propaganda.

Resistance must be shown; first they ask for donation, then they take money.

This totalitarian green movement will move from volunteerism to requisition (taxation) to force.

a buddy of mine has some old tanks of stoveoil, I mean the REAL old stuff..

Here are some simple tips to make Earth Hour a success:

1. Turn off all non-essential lights on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 pm.
2. Encourage family, friends and local businesses to participate.
3. Sign-up.

Sorry, no can do. The Canucks are playing.

I'm with Kevinb and Kathryn and a few others.
Partly because our hydro bill jumped again so I'm too cheap to waste the bucks.
But mainly because I'm not a crowd follower.
No problem with you all doing it tho.
And I already got my knuckle rapped by Kate.

However when my greeny religious family send the lovely e-mail around I will gladly explain to her why I have no fear of AGW and that I appreciate the beauty of earth, I just won't worship it.

Since I have no belief whatever in an Earth deity, me & others of like mind at work are going to be running everything we have at full tilt to show our displeasure at Idol worship. This is a full blown Religion & No way are you going to get anyone who does believe in a real God who made the Planet do so. No adoration or supplication to an Earth Goddess for the dubious goal of easing "her" wrath about Global warming.
Get a life already you tree weepers!!!!!
JMO

Kevinb

I'm not an engineer, and I don't do the protest thing, but will not turn anything off

having said that, I suggest you go back and read your last post about the power swings and what is the item that uses the most electricity in most homes

you are just like the greenies, poorly informed

and as to the oven cleaaning thing mentioned by Kate, no can do, I'm not married:-)))))

gas fireplace - check
patio/flood lights - check
washing machine - check
dryer - check
dish washer, set at self dry setting - check
sauna - check
48" tv - check
xmas lights - check
including Christmas Santa and
eight reindeer. (Oh, I'll be so in the
Christmas spirit when earth day comes)

Leave all the lights in the house on. Turn on every electrical appliance. Listen to the radio, watch the boob tube and put another CD in the player and make a pot of coffee.

Oh, and if you really, really, really want to waste energy, turn your radio and your TV on to CBC.

Here are some simple tips to make Earth Hour a success:

1. Turn off all non-essential lights on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 pm.

Define 'non-essential'.

2. Encourage family, friends and local businesses to participate.

Friends don't do that to friends. Not if they want to remain friends.

3. Sign-up.

I signed up in order to try for the trip to Churchill. If I win,I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they find out they gave the prize to a denier. Will they throw me off the plane, or wait to feed me to the polar bears?

I've taken down my Christmas lights so that I can arrange them on my lawn to form the letters F and U.

Posted by: Y2Kyoto Rob at March 21, 2009 4:49 PM

LOL.Can you get NASA to divert the space station to take a shot of that...please.

And BTW....my dishwasher(wife)is rearranging our Xmas lights on the house to say "Up Yours,Earthday" Heh. No wonder I love her.

Kevinb, I have to disagree with your assertion that the refrigerator uses the most power in the house. I've only noticed a 200W increase in power consumption when the refrigerator comes on. What surprised me was that the furnace blower pulls 600W and so, to make "earth hour" more complete all participants should turn off their furnaces.

Right now my fridge is on, the usual house lights are on, albeit mainly fluorescents, and my 6 computers and the draw is only 1.5 Kw. (that seems a bit low so have to change power meter monitor batteries before the 28'th).

Stoves are the biggest power hogs with a couple of stove elements pulling 4.5 Kw. I hate the idea of using electricity to produce heat but this house came with an electric stove.

Will CBC be playing hockey in the dark?

Several of the Canadian NHL teams are playing in the 'forbidden time'. Leafs fans turn off the game just because they're told to? Unlikely. If the quality of the team isn't enough to do it, neither should this be.

james: re your post at 2:46

Fascinating. You choose to be offended by a couple of minor details of our lifestyle because you have extrapolated them into a totally false assumption / conclusion.

First, our lifestyle is best described as "modest rural", a far cry from "living in an expensive suburb in a big house". We simply chose to leave the city at a time when it was feasible for us. We both still work in the city and gladly make a few sacrifices to afford the slightly higher commuting expenses.

Luckily, the commute also takes us near the same large discount grocery stores that everyone else shops at. We just have to plan our shopping more carefully because making a special trip into the city because we ran out of something essential is just dumb and expensive. Yes, a lot of vegetables we buy are imported. If that offends you, too, that's also your problem. But you would probably be surprised at the variety of locally grown vegetables available at the local farmer's markets.

FWIW, I don't have a wind turbine yet, but I'm saving up for one. Meanwhile, at least our Christmas lights are solar powered. :)

One last comment, our lifestyle is NOT more suited to coastal BC - I am proud to be third generation Albertan. Like my favorite critters, the Magpies and the Coyotes, we're here to stay.

I always make it a point to turn on every light in the house on during Earth Hour. And yes, it's waste for waste's sake. But I'm paying for it on my utility bill, and they'll have to pry my light switch from my cold dead hands.

terry: "but why go out of your way to antagonize those who do?"

Because they are stupid and deserve to be antagonized.

Win an trip to Churchill? Only if I can bring my rifle - Always wanted a white rug!

KevinB - as an electrical engineer.... I just love a balanced load.

I stopped recycling 5 years ago after doing it for 10 years.... the minute I'm told to do so my the green-eco-nazis I figure = EAT $HIT and DIE!

The "green" garbage bag is my friend. And as far as the City of Calgary goes dropping off a "Green Bin" at my door - while they can force me to pay for their bullshit but they can't force me to recycle! They'll never see my bin at the cirb!

I'll be plugging in my block heaters just to ensure my car & truck start at +20 as well as welding and running my band saw, table saw, dust collector and, my leaving my taps running for good messure. I'll crank up the thermostat... I'll pay for the extra gas rather than save it for "future generations". My kids can find their own gas!

Word to the greenies that intend to control my life - stick a gun to my head and I'll take the bullet rather than live under your control...

Keep your powder dry....
Dave K.

Dave_RoA

I got my blue bin - I don't like it. I do my recycling on my own, as it is my choice.

The large recycling megabins are sometimes on my commuting route, so I'm happy to drop off cardboard etc.

I do the sorting. So that's good. It's a voluntary thing. So, we just pitch everything in to the bin that the city dropped off, and all will then be sorted?

I hate this city of calgary program - just watch for costs to escalate. Who pays? Us.

And - justthinking - this thread may be dead - but WTF are you on about @ 232 PM?

You need to grow up, and get a life, or learn some tolerance or something.

Just because someone has a different opinion than you, it doesn't meant that you have to go nuclear

Remember my friend, the right wing tent has to be big. Let's include as many people as we can.

Really, i have to agree with the 'they must be mocked' group.

I think it highly hyprocritical for Canadians to 'embrace' EH and then proceed the next day to use the most fresh water p/c.

I think many confuse good environmental stewardship, ie, reduce, reuse, recycle (I know there are issues related to them as well) and Al Gores "my God, we're gonna die unless we act NOW!" message.

My 13 y/o has already served notice that I cannot turn on xmas tree lights this year. :-(

Unnecessarily running your appliances at the beckoning of this blog is equally as sheepish as participating in earth hour.

The significant impact of this "symbolic" event could have been greater if it was moved forward 4 days to April 1....so it coincides with tax slavery day and fool's day

OK, this is my last post on the subject!

GYM, loki, please note that I prefaced my comment with "at this time of year". It's pretty temperate in Toronto now, and by the end of next week, it's expected to be warmer still. It's not warm enough for A/C, and it's too warm to run the furnace full blast. In the summer, the A/C is by far the biggest user; in January, it's the furnace. But right now, in the GTA at least (which accounts for about 30% of Canada's population, give or take), it's the refrigerator. (Yes, the oven and dryer use more peak power, but on a duty cycle basis , it's the fridge.)

So, like the old Certs commercial - "Stop - we're both right!".

EH is sponsored by WWF. I used to give them an annual donation until they got on this AGW shit.