Earth Hour 2009 - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

03/27/2009 01:30:58 PM · #1

Hello, all:

Earth Hour 2009 is just around the corner! On Saturday at 8:30pm people around the globe are making a statement about electricity consumption and the importance of general awareness of our impact on the environment by turning off their lights and electronics for one hour. It makes for some interesting photo oportunities in the larger cities.

Anybody have plans to capture it?

Some shots from Earth Hour 2008 can be found here.

ETA: The official Earth Hour Website.

Message edited by author 2009-03-27 13:33:01.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

03/27/2009 01:44:59 PM · #2

My lasting memory of last year's Earth Hour was the rampaging gang of teens that patrolled down the street screaming for everyone to turn off their lights. Our neighbors across the street were away, and left their entryway light on. The teens had a shitfit. Silly kids. :-P

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

03/27/2009 01:57:43 PM · #3

Wow, nothing that scary happened near me, and I was on a college campus :P I guess their hearts were in the right place. Their young, angry hearts...

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

03/27/2009 02:06:58 PM · #4

I had heard that Vegas might be darkening the strip for that hour... if so, I will try to capture it. I'm headed for Vegas later today.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

03/27/2009 02:10:33 PM · #5

Originally posted by smudgeSMJ:

Wow, nothing that scary happened near me, and I was on a college campus :P I guess their hearts were in the right place. Their young, angry hearts...

They weren't screaming in a scary way. It was more like a pack of giddy girls at a Backstreet Boys concert. :-D

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/27/2009 02:13:57 PM · #6

Ha ha, ahh, that paints a different picture :)

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

03/27/2009 02:26:40 PM · #7

Assuming this to be wildly successful, what the heck is going to happen to the power grid when many gigawatts-worth of stuff is switched off (and then back on again) all at once?

And how is anyone supposed to take pictures with their (electronic) camera turned off?

Message edited by author 2009-03-27 14:27:26.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

03/27/2009 02:42:10 PM · #8

Man, you sure are a downer ;)

As far as the grid is concerned, I don't know anything about that scientific nonsense, but it survived last year so I guess it does alright.

As far as the cameras go, you have a valid point, but maybe if we all adjust our screens to not emit any light for an hour we can sneakily get away with it? Just without previewing any of our work. That could be interesting.

see

Canon PowerShot S95

03/27/2009 02:46:22 PM · #9

I will be in Vegas, on the walkway between New York - New York and the MGM at 8:30.

soup

Canon EOS-30D

03/27/2009 03:22:11 PM · #10

you could always use an old manual film camera...

Originally posted by GeneralE:

And how is anyone supposed to take pictures with their (electronic) camera turned off?

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/27/2009 03:33:19 PM · #11

I have some film in my refrigerator ... :-)

faidoi

Pentax K10D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

03/28/2009 11:42:55 AM · #12

Today.

VitaminB

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

03/28/2009 05:21:08 PM · #13

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

In a way, I am glad that teens are feeling so passionate about this. I am a high school teacher, and I notice that a lot of teens are quite apathetic about a lot of things. Teens used to be bigger activists, but I haven't seen a lot of that in years... maybe with the economy and environment in the states they are in, it will inspire more activism.

Message edited by author 2009-03-28 17:21:30.

03/28/2009 07:47:16 PM · #14

Less than an hour! :)

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/28/2009 07:50:25 PM · #15

I personally find Earth Hour to be a bit gimmicky and useless. It's a feel-good band-aid for a major problem, but once it's over, the majority of people simply stop caring again.

Now if we really wanted to do something, we'd simply make every day 'earth day', and make the changes we need to be making more consistently.

But we're humanity, and we love our little symbols, I guess.

SJCarter

Canon EOS-7D

03/28/2009 08:00:45 PM · #16

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

Sure it's gimmicky - but don't knowledge and acceptance begin with exposure and an open mind? Yes, it would be terrific to have EVERY day be Earth Day. But I have to think about it like a 'drop in a bucket'. By itself, it doesn't seem to make much of an impact; but when it is accompanied by many others, it can become a tidal wave. Before you know it, you start filling that bucket and then have to worry about what you're going to do with all that clean water!

Anyway... The global exposure and media blitz DOES help us think of our everyday waste of energy. If only 1% of the participants later think about their energy use after their Earth Hour exposure - we'll be making an overall reduction in the amount that we use globally and begin to lessen the damage we're doing to the planet.

Just my 2 cents...

Message edited by author 2009-03-28 20:01:08.

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

03/28/2009 08:06:20 PM · #17

Originally posted by SJCarter:

Originally posted by K10DGuy:
I personally find Earth Hour to be a bit gimmicky and useless. It's a feel-good band-aid for a major problem, but once it's over, the majority of people simply stop caring again.

Now if we really wanted to do something, we'd simply make every day 'earth day', and make the changes we need to be making more consistently.

But we're humanity, and we love our little symbols, I guess.

Sure it's gimmicky - but don't knowledge and acceptance begin with exposure and an open mind? Yes, it would be terrific to have EVERY day be Earth Day. But I have to think about it like a 'drop in a bucket'. By itself, it doesn't seem to make much of an impact; but when it is accompanied by many others, it can become a tidal wave. Before you know it, you start filling that bucket and then have to worry about what you're going to do with all that clean water!

Anyway... The global exposure and media blitz DOES help us think of our everyday waste of energy. If only 1% of the participants later think about their energy use after their Earth Hour exposure - we'll be making an overall reduction in the amount that we use globally and begin to lessen the damage we're doing to the planet.

Just my 2 cents...

There are simply better ways to go about it, IMO. By all means, though, if it opens one set of eyes, then continue with the symbolism.

VitaminB

Nikon D800

03/28/2009 08:24:10 PM · #18

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

There are simply better ways to go about it, IMO. By all means, though, if it opens one set of eyes, then continue with the symbolism.

I tell my students that Earth Hour is entirely symbolic. Since powerplants still make electricity during that time, there isnt a huge reduction in greenhouse gases during the hour.

However, if there is a huge drop in electricity use during that hour, it shows policymakers that a large number of people are concerned about the environment, and its shows ourselves that we are able to make a difference in the amount of electricity being consumed.

But K10DGuy, your right, it is something that we need to do everyday.... so hopefully some of the sacrifices that people make during Earth Hour continue on afterward... like shutting the lights more diligently, turning computers off rather than leaving them in sleep mode, unplugging rechargers when not in use (as they continually draw on electricity). etc. etc.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

03/28/2009 08:39:46 PM · #19

Originally posted by VitaminB:

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

There are simply better ways to go about it, IMO. By all means, though, if it opens one set of eyes, then continue with the symbolism.

I tell my students that Earth Hour is entirely symbolic. Since powerplants still make electricity during that time, there isnt a huge reduction in greenhouse gases during the hour.

However, if there is a huge drop in electricity use during that hour, it shows policymakers that a large number of people are concerned about the environment, and its shows ourselves that we are able to make a difference in the amount of electricity being consumed.

But K10DGuy, your right, it is something that we need to do everyday.... so hopefully some of the sacrifices that people make during Earth Hour continue on afterward... like shutting the lights more diligently, turning computers off rather than leaving them in sleep mode, unplugging rechargers when not in use (as they continually draw on electricity). etc. etc.

Which hopefully leads to actual regulation and legislation of better policies, manufacturing, energy consumption and use, and all that goes with it, and everything too numerous to mention in one sentence.

However, knowing humanity, we'll have to have a major disaster event occur first.

*EDIT* I think, what really irks me, isn't Earth Hour. It's the fact that we as a people are so excited to be all over something like Earth Hour, but only as long as it remains a fringe event. Something fun and symbolic. Something that we can then put aside so we can return to our 'real' lives, and as long as it doesn't interfere with our routines and lifestyles, then hey, it's a nice little thing to 'celebrate'.

That really irks me. Dangerously irks me. So I have to take it out on poor little innocent Earth Hour, because taking it out on society would only get me committed :/

Message edited by author 2009-03-28 20:43:48.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

03/28/2009 08:54:07 PM · #20

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

Originally posted by VitaminB:

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

There are simply better ways to go about it, IMO. By all means, though, if it opens one set of eyes, then continue with the symbolism.

I tell my students that Earth Hour is entirely symbolic. Since powerplants still make electricity during that time, there isnt a huge reduction in greenhouse gases during the hour.

However, if there is a huge drop in electricity use during that hour, it shows policymakers that a large number of people are concerned about the environment, and its shows ourselves that we are able to make a difference in the amount of electricity being consumed.

But K10DGuy, your right, it is something that we need to do everyday.... so hopefully some of the sacrifices that people make during Earth Hour continue on afterward... like shutting the lights more diligently, turning computers off rather than leaving them in sleep mode, unplugging rechargers when not in use (as they continually draw on electricity). etc. etc.

Which hopefully leads to actual regulation and legislation of better policies, manufacturing, energy consumption and use, and all that goes with it, and everything too numerous to mention in one sentence.

However, knowing humanity, we'll have to have a major disaster event occur first.

*EDIT* I think, what really irks me, isn't Earth Hour. It's the fact that we as a people are so excited to be all over something like Earth Hour, but only as long as it remains a fringe event. Something fun and symbolic. Something that we can then put aside so we can return to our 'real' lives, and as long as it doesn't interfere with our routines and lifestyles, then hey, it's a nice little thing to 'celebrate'.

That really irks me. Dangerously irks me. So I have to take it out on poor little innocent Earth Hour, because taking it out on society would only get me committed :/

Jaded?

klkitchens

Pentax K-1

Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 AF

03/28/2009 09:52:04 PM · #21

Hurray it's over!

From 8:30-9:30 eastern we had all our lights ON to protest this global warming nonsense.

All the extra lights are now off.

Bugzeye

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital

03/28/2009 09:58:18 PM · #22

I conserved alot of energy during earth hour. I had a nap.

Jdroullard

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

03/28/2009 09:59:40 PM · #23

I'll turn on some extra lights to make up for the rest of you. This is a bit like not buying gas for a day to protest fosil fuels, useless. Where were the SUV's in the ice age? I wonder if Al Gore will turn off his mansion that uses more energy than most small towns.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

03/28/2009 10:17:20 PM · #24

Pfffft. To the naysayers, yes this may be symbolic, but it does raise awareness. Be less cynical (did that just come out of my mouth???) and more hopeful.
And to HLW, a special "raised finger" since you are invariably the PITA in every thread you post to.