Oh “Earth Hour“, how quaint. It puts me in mind of “Buy Nothing Day”, a similar guilt-assuaging activity for those whom Žižek calls “liberal communists”. As far as I can tell, it provided the opportunity for those who otherwise have no idea how to address things like the climate crises, or rampant consumerism for that matter, in a way that makes them feel as if they are actually doing something. It also provides a great opportunities for politicians to make the electorate feel like they are doing something too.
But let’s face it, most suburbanites can turn off their lights at 8pm on a Saturday night. “The CN Tower soon darkened in the city’s skyline,” reports the CBC, “along with highrises, sports arenas such as the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre” Jeez, on a Saturday, aww…thanks big business, for taking an hour out of your weekend to show how much you care! (1)
I’d like to see Toronto participate in an Earth Hour on a Monday, say around 10am. Let’s see how many takers there would be for that! Of course, the effect isn’t so dramatic is it - you can’t see all those lights that are always on during the day go out when its still daylight!
My favourite quote from the CBC article comes from a stalwart Albertan, who like many wasn’t about to let Earth Hour get in the way of the Battle of Alberta: “Not a chance, I’m sorry to say…Let’s celebrate Earth Hour at four in the morning. That will be a lot better time, I think.”
Just as Buy Nothing Day hasn’t caused a massive rethinking of consumerism in the lives of many, Earth Hour isn’t going to all of a sudden make people use less energy. In fact, because these events are promoted in a such a dramatic fashion, and involve a dramatic action (turning all the lights out, buying nothing) they can actually undermine their stated goals. They make consuming less seem to be a dramatic thing when in actuality, consuming slightly less over longer periods of time (say, walking to work, taking public transit, turning out lights in rooms that you’re not in, sucking up the hot weather in summer; the cold in winter, etc.) would likely be much more effective. By casting environmental action as a dramatic, Earth Hour runs the risk of scaring people off because the task of acting responsibly becomes too large, to unobtainable: “how can we live without the lights on?”
Other things to consider:
- I wonder how many people drove to Earth Hour events like the one described in this article?
- I wonder how many enjoyed a nice hot coffee or tea in a paper cup with a cardboard ring around it and a plastic lid while at the event?
- How many rushed to their computers to frantically check email after one hour of blackout - were computers even part of the items turned off, or was it just lights?
- Were energy saving compact fluorescent lights turned off? By my recollection I think those things use more power when they are turned on than when they are left on.
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(1) According to TheStar.com, “the ACC participated in Earth Hour by dimming exterior and corridor lights” - playing on a darkened ice surface would be chatoic, despite the “lights long turned off on the Leafs’ playoff hopes”. Ha!
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