O.C. firms go dark for global warming event
March 26th, 2010, 2:57 pm · 34 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, science, environment editor
It’s lights out across the planet Saturday night for “Earth Hour,” a symbolic call for action on global warming, and many Orange County businesses will flip the switch as well.
Golden Gate Bridge, lights on. Courtesy World Wildlife Fund
Golden Gate Bridge, lights off. Courtesy World Wildlife Fund
At least 12 appeared on a partial list compiled by World Wildlife Fund, the yearly event’s organizers, among them Ecotek in Huntington Beach and Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
The idea is to switch lights off for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. in each time zone on Saturday.
“We’re going to make it as dark as we can without causing any issues or concerns,” said Dan Pittman, spokesman for the Westin, which turned its lights out last year as well.
Most hotel guests seemed willing to participate, he said, though whether they turn lights out in their rooms will be up to them.
“People seem to buy into it,” he said. “People, given the chance, like to participate in these things. Candle light is kind of romantic anyhow.”
Begun in 2007 in Australia, Earth Hour has grown steadily every year since, said Leslie Aun, manager of Earth Hour for the World Wildlife Fund. People — as well as city governments and businesses — were continuing to sign up the day before the event.
“As of this moment, we have 125 countries,” Aun said late Friday. “But it’s a moving target, and continues to change by the hour. Last year, there were only 88.”
More than 3,500 cities also had signed up by Friday, as well as the governments in 33 of the 50 U.S. states.
“We had 4,000 cities last year,” she said. “The way it’s trending, we’re going to easily beat that.”
The state governments typically take part by switching lights off in a government building, such as the executive mansion. In California, the lights on the State Capitol golden dome will be switched off.
Knowing how many people will take part is a bit trickier. About 50,000 had signed up on the organization’s Web site Friday, but far more typically take part. The group estimates last year’s participation at some 80 million, a number estimated from surveys taken after the event.
In Southern California, the Santa Monica Pier will go dark, along with the pylons at the Los Angeles International Airport (runway lights and control tower lights will stay on; the group urges everyone to stay safe, and turn off only lights that aren’t needed).
The Golden Gate Bridge will wink out in San Francisco. Across the United States, some of the more impressive darkenings will include the Las Vegas strip and the Empire State Building in New York.
Beijing’s Forbidden City will go dark, along with the Taj Mahal, the Egyptian pyramids, the Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace. In Dubai, the world’s largest building will switch its lights off as well.
“We don’t have the White House — yet,” Aun said.
In many places, McDonald’s restaurants will turn their lights out.
The idea of turning lights off really has nothing to do with saving power, Aun said — an hour’s worth of energy savings would be negligible.
But it is meant as a kind of global cry for action to reverse the effects of climate change.
“It’s a symbolic event,” she said. “This is the largest mass event in history. It’s very hard for people to have their voices heard; it’s a signal to the world that they care about this issue. It’s very visual, very inspiring.”
Here’s a partial list of Orange County businesses taking part in Earth Hour:
Hilton Orange County, Costa Mesa
R3 Construction Services, Anaheim
Westin South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa
CB Richard Ellis, Fountain Valley
Power Reduction Technologies, Fullerton
Ecotek, Huntington Beach
Embassy Suites, Irvine
Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Irvine
Fairmont Hotel, Newport Beach
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
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Oooh, I can’t wait to turn on every light and appliance in my house on as a way to show my contempt for this ridiculous group-think. I’m going to encourage all my friends and neighbors to do the same.
Oh boy, aren’t you the rebel. I hope it makes you fell better.
Yes, it will. I didn’t submit to peer pressure as a child and (unlike most people) I don’t bow to it now. Just keep running with all those other lemmings, and don’t think about where they might be leading you.
lights out for one hour?? I have a better idea… since CO2 is the main culprit of “global warminig” I suggest that next Saturday at 8:30pm all greenies, warmist, and tree huggers not breathe for one hour.
Global warming is a farce – Al Gore is a businessman heavily vested in businesses that are profiting and will profit immensely as more and more of the politically correct “greens” believe the junk and lies. Our world has been thermally cyclic for thousands of years and we’re in another cycle. It will get out of it no matter what we do. What fools we humans are to think we can control the climate.
I believe in responsibility, but this brainwashing and convincing everybody that energy use is bad and the US is evil is a tad on the worrisome side.
As for me, I’m firing up my wood-burning stove, lighting up all my floodlights, and idling my cars and lawnmower for the hour.
Good idea I need to blow the carbon out of the engine of my 1972 Smog Exempt Nova
Does Al Whore and the rest of the Green political Stooges know that Kalifornia transit agencies are cutting busses and trains because the state government has stolen transit funds for 10 years??
Keep that wood burning stove well stocked with wood and coal so when the fuel shortage start because of “green” bans or the dollar becoming worthless you will be ready
Hasn’t this propaganda been debunked already? We still have people who believe this scam. All you have to do is look who is making money off it, not to mention the doctored raw data and it is pretty clear.
I am not saying we should not respect the environment, however, let’s tackle real problems like industrial waste runoff into our water supply as well as pharmaceutical drugs and fluoride. Maybe tackle smog, deforestation, take your pick.
And dont forget Massive Overpopulation
This is the most self-serving wacked-out liberal thing to do. Typical look at me driving a Prius people. Why don’t they do something that really has an impact! The organizer even agrees it does not do anything. Wish the writer would have asked the electric companies opinion. Would that not be funny if it takes more fuel to restart the electric turbines!!!!
My neighbor, get this, drives her Pious, er Prius the 150 or so feet from her garage to the mailboxes, leaves it running as she retrieves her mail, then drives it back to the garage!
“We don’t have the White House — yet,” Aun said.
Too bad. We’d be much better off if the lights went off and didn’t go back on again until 2012.
And polar bears can’t swim LOL. People actually believed that.
If AB 32 kicks in there won’t be any companies left to turn off the lights, because hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost due to this global warming fraud/lunacy.
saving energy is always a noteworthy cause but global warming theory is a fraud. why else would it be so strongly supported by the marxist left
I think we need some balance here…
I’m not a Global Warming denier, but I am a Global Warming skeptic.
Like every other religion, AGW relies on faith and doesn’t hold up to intellectual scrutiny. Show me some solid evidence from a reputable, non-biased source and I might be convinced. Until that happens, I’ll remain skeptical, and defiant.
I’m with you..and I’ll go one more—-
Another thing that makes the coverage of “climate change” such a farce is there is NEVER a word about what GOOD could result from it.
We already know all the bad stuff….but it’s completely illogical to assume that any climate change doesn’t contain some benefits as well.
But the leftists in media conveniently leave that out. How’s that for an inconvenient truth.
Although there is growing evidence that the globe is warming, there’s no evidence that humans are the cause. And it’s downright arrogant to think there’s anything we can do to stop it. Shutting off our lights for an hour does nothing beyond making the person flicking the switch feel good.
The earth has warmed and cooled many times in the last few million years. And each time, humans have adapted to the change, persevered and prospered.
Hey, Pat Brennan,
Please don’t let all these naysayers (including me–see above) discourage you from speaking out on behalf of the environment. No one knows what the future holds, and it’s important that we hear from all sides.
Peace, brother.
Rest assured Pat will.
Pat’s at least 45 years old (U of A grad 1984) and wears a pony tail.
That speaks volumes.
It’s sad. Radical groups like the World Wildlife Fund putting stuff like this on, and the State cow towing to them (Capitol dome).
I get a chuckle because the IPCC went down the tubes because of dimwitted propaganda inserted into AR4 from the WWF and other radical groups.
So far there are five hotels on this list. If I were a personal injury lawyer it would be fun, maybe even profitable, to put flyers on all the cars in the parking lots. [Free Speech right?]
“If you fall or injure yourself during the voluntary blackout at this hotel I will represent you at no charge until you get a settlement for reckless endangerment. If you are killed while seeking a fire escape in the dark I will represent your Estate as well.”
Probably next year they would decline the lights out gesture.
better yet – rape and assault.
Battery-powered emergency back-up lights would come on if the main egress lights go off illuminating hallways and exit signs. No lawsuit.
Ive got an 8kw generator & a whole truck load of flood lights.
Maybe I should set next to one of them hotels on the list & fire it up for an hour or so. Just for safety, you understand.
I can’t believe that the newspapers can print the term Global Warming and still keep a straight face. It’s OK Register…everyone knows its a farce. You don’t have to keep on running with something on the assumption that there might be someone out there that still believes it.
At the appointed hour, I am going to back my two SUV’s out of the garage, start them up, and let them run while I go back in the house and turn every light and appliance on while I build a wood fire in my fireplace. This will be my contribution to Earth Hour this year.
Oh, I almost forgot, I must remember to burn my garbage. That way I save gas by not driving to the recycle center.
Foolishness… perhaps if it were symbolic for a general greening of society that might make some sense.
Manmade global warming is far from proven. They cannot explain the medevel warm period as an example… theres all manner of questionable data and questionable conclusions. Until it is proven, it is all very silly, and certainly not worth hamstringing the economy with draconian carbon laws until it is proven.
Conservation of resources is always a good idea, to do it voluntarily is noble, to do it for a cause-celebre known to be factually challenged is hypocrisy.
Legitimate question: If you do not believe in global warming, why would you not turn out your lights for one hour? How would it not help? I meant if your right, global warming isnt real but turning of your lights will still save money. If your wrong, then the benefits of Earth Hour are obvious.
Does it still count if I just went to bed at 8:30? Hi Pat
Wow, do you people actually believe what you type. Ignorant is all I can say. I would suggest for you all to really read and research global warming before stating your opinion. When all is doomed let’s see if your words, position and stubbornness will save you.
How many more millions of carbon spewing, energy using, tax sucking, childred were created durring that hour of darkness