Earth Hour

Earth Hour is tomorrow Saturday, March 28th from 8:30pm to 9:30pm (your local time).

I’m planing to participate by turning off our lights and electronics for the hour. A small step to show our concern about the climate change.

World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

Kind of on a somewhat related side note: Noticing at my friends apartment in Germany last year that at the end of the day they wouldn’t just turn off their stereo and TV and whatnot, but also unplug everything, I thought they might be unnecessarily overdoing it. But it’s been fascinating to learn, that indeed…

“Whether the lights are on or off, standby power is using more electricity than you realize and contributing to your personal greenhouse gas emissions,” the statement [from Belkin] reads. “Standby power, also called vampire power, phantom load or leaking electricity, refers to the electric power consumed by appliances while turned off but still plugged into a power outlet.”

By the way, my decision to participate has nothing to do with the fact that I was born on Earth Day, which only some years also falls on Administrative Professionals Day (formerly known as Secretary’s Day). Just thought I’d throw that in since my birthday is quickly approaching. And, um, I like chocolate. A lot.

CHECK OUT THE EARTH HOUR WEBSITE. And you know they’re on facebook and twitter and…