Earth Hour

[hitest]

Do you participate in Earth Hour? I started participating in this last year. I quite enjoy powering down the lights and my gadgets for one hour. My 6 year old loves story time by candle light.

Earth Hour tonight at 8:30 pm Pacific time, 5:30 pm Eastern time.

[tjet]

I suggested on another forum that instead of sitting around in the dark for the hour they might head down to the store (which I am sure will not be observing it) and buy the new fluorescent bulbs to replace the incandescent ones and reduce lighting costs by 90%.

[sethook]

What ever happened to Earth Day? Did the depression like conditions cause it to diminish to Earth Hour?

[Matt]

Earth Hour tonight at 8:30 pm Pacific time, 5:30 pm Eastern time.

I think you got that backwards. I believe it's 8:30 PM Eastern time

[jcl]

Earth Hour tonight at 8:30 pm Pacific time, 5:30 pm Eastern time.

I think you got that backwards. I believe it's 8:30 PM Eastern time

It's 20:30 local time.

[hitest]

Earth Hour tonight at 8:30 pm Pacific time, 5:30 pm Eastern time.

I think you got that backwards. I believe it's 8:30 PM Eastern time

GAH........you're right:) 8:30 Eastern time......which is 5:30 Pacific time. Thx for the correction.

[hitest]

I suggested on another forum that instead of sitting around in the dark for the hour they might head down to the store (which I am sure will not be observing it) and buy the new fluorescent bulbs to replace the incandescent ones and reduce lighting costs by 90%.

Good point, man:-) I'm there. I'm replacing all of my incandescent bulbs with the new fluorescent bulbs as my old bulbs fail.

[hitest]

My 6 year old asked me if Bugs Bunny would be finished before Earth Hour starts. I assured her that she will be able to watch Bugs prior to lights out. Fun stuff.

[Bubba Bob]

Yep. I love "Earth Hour". Gives everyone a chance to make themselves feel like they did something to help the environment, then go on about their life. I too participate, however. I turn on every light in my house, run the A/C, and mix harmfull batches of heavy duty cleaning products to flush down my toilet.

Really though... Anyone else feel like they are getting ripped off by the fluorescent light bulb industry? Mine seem to last a year at best, a couple weeks at worst. I thought these stupid things were supposed to last up to 5 years?

[JDoors]

Yep. I love "Earth Hour". Gives everyone a chance to make themselves feel like they did something to help the environment, then go on about their life. I too participate, however. I turn on every light in my house, run the A/C, and mix harmfull batches of heavy duty cleaning products to flush down my toilet.

Really though... Anyone else feel like they are getting ripped off by the fluorescent light bulb industry? Mine seem to last a year at best, a couple weeks at worst. I thought these stupid things were supposed to last up to 5 years?

I wasn't going to post because I didn't want to be the only skeptic.

Let's just say I don't like the idea of using international peer pressure to get you to do something that's solely symbolic, though I do "get" it and turned out my lights anyway. I'm weak.

I have NO idea why your bulbs aren't lasting, pay up for the brand name bulbs, maybe? Is it HOW you use them? Flourescents aren't a good choice for fixtures that get turned on and off frequently.

[Carnevil]

Really though... Anyone else feel like they are getting ripped off by the fluorescent light bulb industry? Mine seem to last a year at best, a couple weeks at worst. I thought these stupid things were supposed to last up to 5 years?

I have to find a specific kind of fluorescent bulb to work with my dimmer switch. How freaking annoying is that, it took me forever to find the ones I needed.

I have no idea if they'll last as long as my old light bulbs.

When it comes to the whole earth hour I figure the more people that turn off their lights the more energy I can use for that hour.

[blim]

Bubbabob, this is what I learned about those newfangled twirley bulbs:

They are best in areas where they will be on for at least 15 minutes, so in rooms like bedrooms or closets or bathrooms where they are "flip on, flip off", they wear out quicker. Oldfashioned bulbs might be better for those rooms.

They don't work well with dimmer switches.......yet. They are coming out with bulbs made for dimmers but they are pricey and I don't know how long they last, regular twirley bulbs don't last long at all with dimmers.

Liz

[jcl]

We're on hydroelectricity so I couldn't care less

[Honda_Boy]

Didn't even know when exactly Earth Hour was until today. I was at work and headed home from work during the whole thing I think.

But like jcl, we're on Hydroelectricity here.

And the Compact Florescent bulbs, they don't seem to last as long as they say, but we use them in our basement and they do last quite a while. It's probably been a couple a years since we last changed them. We also have old school florescent lighting down there too over the washer and dryer and in front of the cars and those bulbs have NEVER been changed since my dad installed them over 14 years ago.

[hitest]

I felt like an idiot last night......On my block my house was one of only a few that went dark for the hour. Hehe.

My 6 year old loved it though:)

[Pete_C]

I converted all my lighting needs to fluorescent or compact fluorescent long ago.

Not that it makes that big an impact; since the real users of energy in the home are heating and air conditioning, refrigerator and freezer, clothes dryer, TV, computer and things like that.

But every little bit helps and it adds up when hundreds of millions of households do it.

Which is what worries me. CFL and Fluurescent contain mercury (albeit a small amount) and while they do offer recycling at many stores which sell them; be realistic how many people will take the dead bulb and run down to the store to recycle it? Most will keep a couple spare bulbs on hand and while they may mean to recycle will end up throwing the CFL in the trash resulting in mercury contamination of the environment; and while it is a small amount this adds up when hundreds of millions of households do it.

I am switching my lighting over to LED as the prices come down and they become more practical.

I already bough 800LED Xmas lights for next year; lots more light for far less energy. Save enough that I will even let the OL leave them on all night if she wants and will probably put them up on halloween rather than the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I have already changed the "nightlights" over to LED ones (with photosensors where they are left in the on position and not easily switched on and off) Helps to have some night lights to keep from tripping on black dogs in the middle of the night when going to the restroom. Likewise makes it so you do not have to turn on lights which will leave you night blind when trying to get back into bed. Even used several of the C7 replacements (7 watts light for 0.3 watts electricity) in candellabras.

Just got a couple of 45 watt equivalent flood lights (use 5 watt) to replace fluorescent lights that had failed. Quite adequate for night time outdoor illumination and I think I may go for the indoor spots next (but wish they would get more powerful say a 60 or 90 watt equivalent).

[hitest]

Excellent tips, Pete_C.

I'm gradually switching over my lights to florescent. As mentioned in this thread the fluorescent bulbs don't seem to work so well for me on dimmer switches.

[bobbynichols]

Switched to flourescent bulbs a long time ago... Significant change in electrical usage.

I also leave the water heater on for only 4-hours a day, sometimes less, for shower, bath, and dirty dish cleaning. I manually switch at the breaker box (I'll buy a timer when it becomes affordable). An on-demand water heating system has been on my mind as an investment for quite a while.

I agree with Pete C that LED lighting (especially when used with low-power, lower costing solar technologies) will be the next quantum leap to electrical lighting energy savings.

I wonder what the bio-luminescent technologies are up to? Guess I'll do a web research on that soonest.

[Pete_C]

Most fluorescents are not truely dimmable. They need full power to power up and get warm and even then due to threshold voltages they are a bear to dim.

On the other hand I think most LEDs are dimmable. I noticed one that the package specifically mentions that they "are fine for dimmable circuits unlike cfls"

At SAM's Club these are all $14.99

http://aasaving.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3573020

http://store3-store.stores.yahoo.net/liofamdoleda.html

Not really worth the $40 annual membership unless you are buying a bundle or have other reasons to join but if you are a member well worth considering.

Instant on , very white light.

[martymas]

ime sure people are not pressured to use earth hour

the idea is to remind people to conserve

it is up to the individual

we have observed it for some years way down here

and in the city i live in ALL lights went out

and it was a dam eerie feeling

but for me it was a good cause

it wont be many years before many of us will be saying

why didnt i believe

of course there will be skeptics

my answer to those

youve had it to good for to long

and it wont last forever

so give us

who believe a chance

marty

Edited April 2, 2009 by martymas

[hitest]

ime sure people are not pressured to use earth hour

the idea is to remind people to conserve

it is up to the individual

Agreed.

Earth Hour is primarily a symbolic gesture. I think that people are waking up to the idea of conserving and preserving our environment. Every little bit helps.

[Pete_C]

Sounds like you live in a mighty civilized city marty.

I know a lot of them where if they turned out the lights for one hour they would wind up with more light and pollution from the fires from the looting and ambulances taking the robbery and shooting victims to the hospital.

[martymas]

pete started a very good post

some thing ime passionate about

but i cant force people to agree

i just want to remind people

the future are in your hands for your

grand children and great grand children

i think one of the reasons

people here observe conservation

is because we have a reputation round the world for conservation and

and a clean green image

so our biz sector have buil there biz round this image

in the city i live in there are no open fires

they are banned

and for the heating it is compulsory to install heat pumps

for people that cant quite afford the pumps

get a grant from the gov

i have heard people grizzle about paying taxes

for these heat pumps

but the cost is minumAL

compare to the cost of pollution and health risks

through unheated houses.

we live near the south pole

and it is bloody cold in the winter

not through snow and ice

but that dam southerly wind that blows all winter\

sorry i got a bit carried away

marty

Edited April 5, 2009 by martymas

[Pete_C]

Good point Marty.

One of the jobs of government is (should be) to assess the total social cost of things and spend money appropriately. Spending a little extra money to help install efficient heating and cooling and insulation for those who would not ordinarily install it because they cannot afford to can actually save all taxpayers money by decreasing the need for electricity so that new plants do not need to be built and decreasing air pollution thus reducing health related costs and lowering their cost of insurance in the long run.

All too often knee jerk reactions and misinformation lead to bad decisions in the long term. Opposing nuclear plants at a time when there were no viable alternatives to coal plants as a replacement has led to not only increased carbon emissions; but far more radioactive and heavy metal contamination of the environment than nuclear power ever would have caused. Even the contamination of Chernobyl is dwarfed by that released by coal plants.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=coal-a...n-nuclear-waste

Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste

the fly ash emitted by a power plant—a by-product from burning coal for electricity—carries into the surrounding environment 100 times more radiation than a nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy

Fly ash uranium sometimes leaches into the soil and water surrounding a coal plant, affecting cropland and, in turn, food.

http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-...xt/colmain.html

For the year 1982, assuming coal contains uranium and thorium concentrations of 1.3 ppm and 3.2 ppm, respectively, each typical plant released 5.2 tons of uranium (containing 74 pounds of uranium-235) and 12.8 tons of thorium that year. Total U.S. releases in 1982 (from 154 typical plants) amounted to 801 tons of uranium (containing 11,371 pounds of uranium-235) and 1971 tons of thorium. These figures account for only 74% of releases from combustion of coal from all sources. Releases in 1982 from worldwide combustion of 2800 million tons of coal totaled 3640 tons of uranium (containing 51,700 pounds of uranium-235) and 8960 tons of thorium.

Yep, definitely more than Chernobyl by a long shot.

[JDoors]

Seems obvious once you mentioned it, but I never heard anything about the natural radioactivity of coal before.