Toronto skyline to dim for 1 hour on March 29

[3weddings]

City residents will be asked to take part in Earth Hour
January 19, 2008
Toronto Star

TORONTO

Earth Hour is all about the power of one, multiplied many, many times.

It might seem an inconsequential thing to turn out one home's lights for an hour on a Saturday night.

But Toronto residents are being asked to take the little step between 8 and 9 p.m. on March 29, to cut the city's electrical consumption for 60 minutes and to make a statement, to sluggish governments and industry, and to one another.

"It's a potent, very visible symbol of concern and expectation for action,'' says Julia Langer, global threats director at World Wildlife Fund Canada of what, in its second year, has become a global event.

"It's a celebration of what's been done so far and ratcheting up to the next level of achievement.''

Building public awareness of energy use is key to moving the province toward "the conservation culture that the premier is talking about,'' says Toronto Hydro spokesperson Blair Peberdy.

The lights-out campaign was launched last year in Sydney, Australia. Organizers say 1,950 businesses and government departments, and 60,000 households, participated. For 60 minutes, much of the city's skyline went dark and demand for electricity fell 10.2 per cent. That reduction was double the original target.

Since most of Australia's electricity is generated by burning coal, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions was equivalent to taking 48,000 cars off the road for an hour, organizers say.

This year, Earth Hour will be an international demonstration of the power of individuals to create change.

Sydney is in again, and the event, so far, has expanded within Australia to include Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Gold Coast and Melbourne, and beyond to include Toronto; Chicago; Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel; Manila, Philippines; Suva, Fiji; Christchurch, N.Z.; and four Danish cities -- Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg. At least three more cities -- Bangkok, Singapore and Shanghai -- are likely to participate.

A similar action, Lights Out America, will be held in U.S. locations.

Toronto's Earth Hour is co-sponsored by The Toronto Star, WWF-Canada, the City of Toronto and Virgin Mobile, with co-operation from Toronto Hydro and many businesses.

During the two months leading up to Earth Hour, there will be public events highlighting the lights-out.

This week, WWF-Canada begins a companion campaign called The Good Life, intended to help people to take positive action on climate change while living happier, healthier lives in harmony with the environment. It sets up a national system for tracking greenhouse emissions. Find details on the group's website: www.wwf.ca.

For Earth Hour, each city is setting its own goals for reduced electricity demand. Toronto's goal is five per cent, which will require mass participation by residents and businesses, according to Toronto Hydro.

Here's what's involved:

What will Toronto look like at Earth Hour?

It won't be like the big blackout of 2003, but if enough condo dwellers and businesses participate, much of the skyline will be reduced to a dim silhouette.

ELECTRICITY: FACTS AND FIGURES

Watts, kilowatts and megawatts are measures of electrical power being produced or consumed at a certain time.

A kilowatt is 1,000 watts or the equivalent of 10 100-watt light bulbs.

A megawatt (MW) is a million watts.

One megawatt is enough to supply about 1,000 average homes.

Ontario's maximum power available is about 27,000 megawatts.

Ontario demand, March 29, 2007, at 8 p.m. was 18,969 MW.

SOURCE: ONTARIO INDEPENDENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEM OPERATOR

http://news.therecord.com/article/297265

[branat]

Would've be more effective if they move this event to Feb 3rd, Superbowl Day.

[st7860]

if they did this before 5pm then it might actually save something. by doing it during off peak periods , there's plenty of capacity available.

[brunes]

I don't get why more office towers don't have all their lights auto shut off at 6pm as a policy. If you are working late you can manually turn the light back on.

[rilhouse]

i think it's a good idea. i think having it after dark produces a visual statement that others will see even if energy is in less demand.

[branat]

Then we all look like North Korea night sky.

[VorteC]

Maybe someone should start this underground message telling people that at the same time as the lights out period, residents of another part of Toronto turn on everything in their house for maximum power consumption to balance it out.

[legendofxix]

The skyline should be dark regardless of what day it is at night.
I see all these office towers with lights on but no-one in them.
Lets just all turn on EVERYTHING in our house, overload the grid and have a blackout.

[GangStarr]

I don't get why more office towers don't have all their lights auto shut off at 6pm as a policy. If you are working late you can manually turn the light back on.

I think it has something to do with birds not seeing the buildings at night and flying into them and killing/injuring themselves. I believe most office towers are on "minimal light" mode at night.

[eelfliw]

As much as I believe in the cause of conserving energy, reducing carbon emissions etc. I think the participation of Toronto Star in this event as a sponsor is a mockery.

While this company talks up a storm about helping the environment, and sponsors symbolic events that encourage others to be aware of our carbon footprint, the very existence of a print media company is to kill trees.

If you stand outside of Toronto Star's printing plant by Hwy. 400 and counted the number of trucks going in and out of that plant, the amount of gas/diesel these trucks burn transporting newsprint to/from the plant, and simply estimated how many trees died to create all that paper, you'll wonder why we even bother to have an Earth Hour?

While we sit in the darkness on March 29th, is Toronto Star shutting down it's printing plant? Halting all delivery trucks on the road? Paying it's employees who uses electricity and light to sit there for an hour? I haven't seen any evidence that this company is practicing what it preaches to others.

So, instead of just telling its readers to suffer an hour of darkness, The Star can take a lead. Shut down its printing plant and editorial office for an hour. No lights, no computers, no machines. Just heat to keep its employees warm and fans to keep the air fresh. It can also help the environment by charging $5 per newspaper on March 29th to discourage sale of newspapers and encourage online access to information and news. This will reduce the number of trucks used to transport newsprint and reduce the energy usage at its printing plant.

May be then, its editors will see how ludicrous and impractical this Earth Hour is.

I'm all for helping the environment. I'm just not into cheerleading and useless symbolism that creates nothing but temporary inconvenience. How many households will turn off the lights for an hour and then turn back on the 3 TVs, dishwasher, electric clothes dryer, hair dryer etc etc. immediately at 9PM? If we want to save the earth, we have to give up some of our comforts. And let's all do it for real, for good, instead for an hour.

[GangStarr]

As much as I believe in the cause of conserving energy, reducing carbon emissions etc. I think the participation of Toronto Star in this event as a sponsor is a mockery.

While this company talks up a storm about helping the environment, and sponsors symbolic events that encourage others to be aware of our carbon footprint, the very existence of a print media company is to kill trees.

If you stand outside of Toronto Star's printing plant by Hwy. 400 and counted the number of trucks going in and out of that plant, the amount of gas/diesel these trucks burn transporting newsprint to/from the plant, and simply estimated how many trees died to create all that paper, you'll wonder why we even bother to have an Earth Hour?

While we sit in the darkness on March 29th, is Toronto Star shutting down it's printing plant? Halting all delivery trucks on the road? Paying it's employees who uses electricity and light to sit there for an hour? I haven't seen any evidence that this company is practicing what it preaches to others.

So, instead of just telling its readers to suffer an hour of darkness, The Star can take a lead. Shut down its printing plant and editorial office for an hour. No lights, no computers, no machines. Just heat to keep its employees warm and fans to keep the air fresh. It can also help the environment by charging $5 per newspaper on March 29th to discourage sale of newspapers and encourage online access to information and news. This will reduce the number of trucks used to transport newsprint and reduce the energy usage at its printing plant.

May be then, its editors will see how ludicrous and impractical this Earth Hour is.

I'm all for helping the environment. I'm just not into cheerleading and useless symbolism that creates nothing but temporary inconvenience. How many households will turn off the lights for an hour and then turn back on the 3 TVs, dishwasher, electric clothes dryer, hair dryer etc etc. immediately at 9PM? If we want to save the earth, we have to give up some of our comforts. And let's all do it for real, for good, instead for an hour.

Well said. Being "Green" is the cool thing to pretend to be these days.

[gordholio]

Why are they waiting until March 29? They should be doing this now, every night for an hour. One day isn't going to do anything really.

[Becks]

I think it's great that Toronto is doing this. Why isn't Vancouver, also? We are so busy with the developer-driven "EcoDensity" zoning initiative here, it just goes to show how ungreen Vancouver is. Here's an example: there is this big white square windowless building at Brian Jessel BMW that is lit up so brightly, you see it from miles away. It is monolithic in size, and it is an abomination to my eyes and the landscape. Yet, the city by-laws have no restrictions on this sort of useless light pollution.

[gei]

I think it has something to do with birds not seeing the buildings at night and flying into them and killing/injuring themselves. I believe most office towers are on "minimal light" mode at night.

Actually you have it backwards. The FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program) group in Toronto tries to get Toronto office towers to turn OFF their lights, as they ATTRACT birds and cause them to die. Apparently thousands of birds crash into our skyscrapers everyday, and the city has to go around picking them up each morning.

In fact during certain migratory periods, the lights in buildings are off more so than normal. For example the CN Tower's new lighting system was dim from like september-november or so because of this.

The lights remain on in most office towers due to many reasons. You'd be surprised how many people are working in the bank towers all night (ie security officers, cleaning staff, and even regular employees).

[funkylist]

Earth Hour 2008

Turning off your lights for one hour at 8pm March 29, 2008

http://www.earthhour.org/

[ssainani]

i love the fact the city skyline is lite up at night

it looks great

[RedFlagRobot]

i love the fact the city skyline is lite up at night

it looks great

Why are people like you even in the Green / Eco-Friendly forums?

[st7860]

Why are people like you even in the Green / Eco-Friendly forums?

because he/she hangs out under the confederation bridge

[thelefteyeguy]

this is like valentines day...

sure I'll do my part, but it's not different for me on most nights, 365 days a year.

[jeeva86]

Can't this a potential problem for the circuit breakers because there will be a sudden request for power at 9pm?

[RedFlagRobot]

because he/she hangs out under the confederation bridge

lol, it took me a while to get that. Must be slow today...

[nalababe]

Why are people like you even in the Green / Eco-Friendly forums?

Acutally, I don't know if the poster was being sarcastic, but the lights of the city on a clear night is breathtaking (say from Panorama looking south). That does not mean that people want to destroy the environment....

[Becks]

Ok, I heard Vancouver is participating in this lights out campaign this year. Yay, but I don't think anyone knows about it.

[eelfliw]

Why are people like you even in the Green / Eco-Friendly forums?

Because the earth hour is not about truly helping the environment. It's about inconveniencing ourselves to prove a redundant point.

The amount of paper & ink wasted promoting earth hour is already greater than the amount of energy that can be saved switching off lights for a hour. We need to switch off lights as much as possible, every day. Not only for an hour because some newspaper told us so.

[gmark2000]

Is anyone else irked that Earth Hour has become some big marketing event for shopping malls and such?

It's like how the breast cancer movement is besieged by pink products that have token proceeds going towards the actual charity.

[Simkins]

Because the earth hour is not about truly helping the environment. It's about inconveniencing ourselves to prove a redundant point.

The amount of paper & ink wasted promoting earth hour is already greater than the amount of energy that can be saved switching off lights for a hour. We need to switch off lights as much as possible, every day. Not only for an hour because some newspaper told us so.

I nearly fell of my chair while reading this, the 1st useful post in the section.

[pluto]

Because the earth hour is not about truly helping the environment. It's about inconveniencing ourselves to prove a redundant point.

The amount of paper & ink wasted promoting earth hour is already greater than the amount of energy that can be saved switching off lights for a hour. We need to switch off lights as much as possible, every day. Not only for an hour because some newspaper told us so.

I agree about the wasted paper and ink but is there really any additional being wasted by promoting Earth Hour? Those newspapers would be printed anyway, that is another battle...

Anyway, you are right Earth Hour itself does not help the environment, but it raises awareness of the difference that each of us can make.

If it manages to make even 1% of the population sit up and take notice and *think* about the energy they consume (and waste) then I think it has achieved what its organizers set out to do.

[roguechameleon]

Anyway, you are right Earth Hour itself does not help the environment, but it raises awareness of the difference that each of us can make.

If it manages to make even 1% of the population sit up and take notice and *think* about the energy they consume (and waste) then I think it has achieved what its organizers set out to do.

And that's why I will be shutting off the lights in our house for an hour on 3/29.

[nalababe]

people will not notice...even 1%....in the grand scheme of things I could think of many far more important efforts. Have buildings in the downtown core or shopping malls raise/lower their temperature....then I'd be more impressed.

I am green, I recycle almost everything that I cannot compost (I compost even in winter), but I still don't believe in the 1 hour lights off....

If people were really comitted, then they would turn off power in the office towers for the entire night or weeks....this unfortunately is just part of the media circus.

[pluto]

people will not notice...even 1%....

The number of people who notice is directly related to the number of residences/businesses taking part. If everyone had the attitude of 'why bother' then you'd probably be right, it would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.


in the grand scheme of things I could think of many far more important efforts.

Baby steps my friend.... the vast majority of people will reject revolutionary change (until they have no other choice) so it is necessary to encourage small changes in behaviour and raise awareness of the issues as I said. This effort is one of the ways.

[new_vr]

Events like these just seem like they were designed so a bunch of people can give themselves a pat on the back, and discuss with their friends how eco-sensitive they are with their friends over a cafe latte.
At least do it at a peak energy time, then you will be actually making a (very small) difference.
Awareness is good, but sometimes it takes real work to make a difference, not just a minor inconvenience.

[jetz]

The one light bulb campaign was probably more effective. Instead of wasting funds on Earth Hour, the city could be using them to switch to LED lighting and switching to compact fluorescents in city owned housing, etc.

Otherwise, they should do this in the summer instead and encourage people to turn off air conditioners. People would be barbecuing and looking at the night sky. More fun than doing it in the winter.

[fenrus]

Events like these just seem like they were designed so a bunch of people can give themselves a pat on the back, and discuss with their friends how eco-sensitive they are with their friends over a cafe latte.
At least do it at a peak energy time, then you will be actually making a (very small) difference.
Awareness is good, but sometimes it takes real work to make a difference, not just a minor inconvenience.

yeah, the West is all about instant gratification. After giving themselves a pat on the back, they hop into their SUV at 9pm and head to the nearest bar to get wasted.

[robmik43]

Our entire society is dedicated to a lifestyle
and recreational activities that require
the relentless consumption of energy.
Society will not change.

Great Macleans' article this week on the
naivite and futility of eco-dork micro-initiatives.:twisted:

http://www.macleans.ca/science/environment/article.jsp?content=20080326_994_994

[Natsuiro]

I don't see what this accomplishes.
Don't you guys use nuclear power in Ontario?

[brockster]

A lot of great points here...

I went to candles last night for an hour and just thought about power... agree with the Toronto Star points (and I used to work in their digital dept and wonder when the end of newspapers would come, what a waste)...

Another one, the CN Tower and pimping it out EVERY night with the cheesy lights turning it into a big glow stick.

Why do they do this EVERY night, why not once a week, once a month or a special event. When I looked at the CN Tower last night on Earth Hour, I said to myself, that looks nice. Why, because it looked normal again and that was a change.

I am tired of people driving Hummers by themselves, people cranking air conditioners when it is cool outside, the CN Tower lighting up every night and people basically proving it is indeed the "ME" generation.

[kuqdew]

only 7%

how embarrassing

[mart242]

only 7%

how embarrassing

I honestly did not do anything different. I've got only CFL in my new energy efficient house and if I'm watching tv or doing stuff, I only have the needed lights turned on anyways. Why do people feel the need to light up the whole house when they are inside? (ie: my mom does that)
:confused: