Consider participating in this year's Earth Hour on March 29 from 8:00-9:00. Town Council discussed this campaign at Monday's Council meeting and agreed to help promote it, although we stopped short of signing up as a municipality. Maybe next year.
So what IS Earth Hour? Last year, Sydney, Australia turned off lights for an hour to bring awareness about climate change and ways their residents could reduce their use of energy. This year, it has turned into a global event, and on March 29, individuals, businesses, and cities will participate by shutting off lights between 8:00 and 9:00 PM.
A number of large Canadian cities have already signed on--Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. I've signed up as an individual and you can, too. As I write, the counter on the website shows that over 52,600 individuals and 3000 businesses have signed up. Peace River residents can push up those numbers at: http://www.earthhour.org/
On the Take Action tab, you can download a document that provides ideas to help you become involved during Earth Hour. Think about what your family might be able to do during an hour without power--playing games, singing, or having a jam session by candlelight? (Be careful with the candles--we don't want fires started as a result of this campaign!)
On the Earth Hour Every Day tab there are ideas for conserving electricity anytime at home, at the office, and at school.
Let's each do what we can to show support for this initiative. On March 29, between 8:00 and 9:00 PM, shut off your lights, computers and other electrical appliances and help bring awareness about finding ways to reduce our contribution to climate change.
3 comments:
Thanks for your articles Leslie! I love your initiative here! The blogging is a great addition to this new paradigm we are seeing the world move toward. Keep up the great work!
Now for my comments. Hehe.. I can't help it, I gotta give my input here. I hope that we can get more comments from others, and thus, a discussion going with people who visit your blog. That's what comments are available for, eh; a way for us to all come together and learn from one another as we collaborate on better ways of living for all of us... That's my hope anyway. Am I being too idealistic?
I believe that permaculture is a big part of the puzzle. Permaculture will help all of us live in a much more healthy and balanced way, along WITH the earth. In order for this to work, we will need clean water, clean soil (when I say 'clean', I mean unpolluted by industrial waste materials, chemicals and the like), and organic seed (especially NOT terminator technology and patented seed varieties). I'm sure a little elbow grease wouldn't hurt to get this going either. ;) It's too bad inherently greedy industries use corrupted systems to circumvent such solutions. I vote that we move toward a better way of life for EVERYONE, not just a few 'elite'. ;)
Free/Clean/Sustainable energy would probably help too. It's available, it just tends to be suppressed for some odd reason. If it's not seen as 'profitable' or 'controllable', it tends not to gain much ground. Strange, innit?
Maybe our ideals need to change as a society in order for things to work for EVERYONE? Yes, that's a rhetorical question, but I'm definitely open to other comments on that.
Permaculture Resources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture
www.planetfriendly.net/permaculture.html
video.google.ca/videosearch?q=permaculture
The Future of Food (Google Video Search)
Free/Clean/Sustainable Energy Resources:
freeenergy.ca
karinya.com/freeenergy.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_energy_suppression
The Race to Zero Point (Google video)
appro.org/links.html
appro.org/education.html
Thanks for the kind comments as well as the information on permaculture, etc. We need some idealism along with some pragmatic direction ahead so go ahead and be idealistic!
Have you ever checked out the Post-Carbon Institute relocalize network (http://www.postcarbon.org/) or the Rocky Mountain Institute (http://www.rmi.org/)? Both worthy sites to visit when you're in despair over climate change and other environmental issues.
Thanks for sharing these resources Leslie. I have not seen the Post Carbon Institute site before, but I really think they are onto something with their mission statement. Here's a portion of it:
"Our main response to these concerns is the strategy of Relocalization, which aims to rebuild societies based on the local production of food and energy, and the Relocalization of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, strengthen local economies, and dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity."
Let's hope they gain some ground in their mission.
And oh yes, the RMI.. brought to us by the Natural Capitalism folks. Great stuff here too. Some ahead of the curve thinking indeed. Now, how are we to change policy and old ways of doing things into something that encourages this type of growth on a MASSIVE scale? Things don't seem to be moving fast enough. Yes, I am working to become a more patient person, but it's difficult sometimes when you see that there is a better way, and that way is being circumvented in support of less healthy interests. :/
One interesting site that kind of reminds me of the sites you shared is one that some folks at Humboldt State have built...
Campus Center for Appropriate Technology
Have a great day! :)
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