Enviro-mental

How did you spend your Earth Hour 2008?

Buried deep in a pile of work, I spent this Saturday night holed up in my den. But I did turn out the lights, and turned off the computer, too. It’s quieter than I remembered without the hum of my desktop.

After eating a dinner by candlelight (which is less bright than I thought it would be), I peaked my head out to assess whether others on my street were participating. Although more than 32,000 Torontonians signed up, apparently not many of those were in my neighbourhood.

Reflections

Some things I pondered during my hour in the dark.

1. Before electricity, people must have been a lot more rested. There’s nothing to do with no power!
2. Being in the dark is a lot more fun if you have some friends to talk to.
3. Everything relies on power these days, even things that don’t strictly have to. My portable phone, for example, uses a non-electric phone line but needs power from electricity.
4. Electricity is used by appliances I never even considered. To reduce power consumption, I would have to un-plug my computer printer (it does not turn off!), keep my fish tanks in the dark, un-plug the digital clocks in my kitchen, and wake up with the sun instead of my alarm clock.
5. I was lucky enough to not be part of the summer black-out a few years ago. Now I understand, and it’s winter. It gets dark earlier. Most of my entertainment (computer, Wii, TV) relies on power. And I rely on it for food. What would happen if the power went out for longer, or for good? Time to make a contingency plan.

Take-Home Messages from Earth Hour 2008

• I will remember to turn off appliances and lights when not in use
• I will make an effort to go technology-free once a day; this will hopefully help reduce stress and give me some time to myself
• I will invest in some good books with large print, suitable for reading by candlelight!

National Geographic has broadened its scope with a new magazine called Green Guide.

I picked up its inaugural Spring 2008 issue. Here’s a look inside:

• Consumer features: how everyday people (you) can decrease carbon emissions by measurable amounts and save the planet by saving money. What happens to returned plastic bags? And an educational food safety quiz.
• Buying Guides: the raison d’etre for the Green Guide is consumer education, and the everyday products covered in the first issue are a great start: light bulbs, plastic containers, cosmetics and cleaning products.
• Bonuses: a pull-out card to take grocery shopping and cute, retro tips for the neglected “R” (reuse).

In its nearly 100 pages, the Green Guide includes only a few advertisements, which makes its articles infinitely more readable than other similar mags. But it comes at a cost - nearly $7.00 (Canadian) per single issue.

The Green Guide attempts to take eco-friendly mainstream with glossy photos (printed on recycled paper) and easy-to-understand information. But environmental newbies might remain a little confused - readers should already be acquainted with CFLs (compact fluorsecent lightbults) and be regular purchasers of organic produce before reading. But even savvy consumers might have a hard time decoding the orange juice article (page 22), which attempts to rate orange juices in various forms based on their enviro-friendliness.

Obviously a magazine called “Green Guide” is written from the point-of-views of people who are already concerned about the environment, and it shows in the authors’ language and writing style. Not every issue is as cut and dry as Green Guide makes it seem. I would like to see more science references (especially about controversial topics like phthalates) and some additional background on why we use them in the first place.

But I may be an atypical reader. I think that anyone picking up Green Guide will find useful information, whether they have yet to make any “green” changes or whether they’ve been buying organic food since 1982. The articles are well-written, thorough (if not a little bit overwhelming), and rise above their competitors with tangible advice that you can follow.

Their website is a vault of information, too.

For those looking for more in-depth coverage of environmental consumerism, Green Guide has it.

On March 29, 2008, turn out the lights and unplug. For 60 minutes - can you do it?

When I first heard about Earth Hour I was befuddled. What is the point? Light in the form of candles (or lighters, or now cell phones) is a sign of solidarity. Taking that light away - will it be as powerful?

Apparently it is. Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia to “inspire people to take action on climate change”. Symbolism aside, that one hour in 2007 saw (or rather, left in the darkness) 2.2 million people and 2100 businesses, saving the energetic equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year.

Major cities around the world - Melbourne, Toronto and Copenhagen, for example - are participating in the 2008 world Earth Hour. But of course smaller cities can (and should) be involved too.

So, how do you get involved?

• Turn off your lights (and ideally, computers and other energy-using appliances) at 8 p.m. local time on March 29, 2008.
• tell your friends. If your real-life friends tune out, try networking or posting a link through Myspace or Facebook.
• If your community is not yet participating, have it added to Earth Hour’s list.
• To kill time until March 29, check out the Earth Hour supporter map - a 3D look at where in the world people are participating. Ironically, they are represented by lighted dots.