Anyone else sick of this global-warming-event bullshit?

By Mack D. Male ·

lights Have you heard of Earth Hour? Sharon sent me a link for it today, pointing out that the City of Edmonton is participating in the “global movement” that aims to “take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced”. Cities around the world are pledging to turn off the lights for one hour on March 29th. From the about page:

On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour. This massive collective effort reduced Sydney’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year.

With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.

Reminds me a little of Live Earth. Remember that event? The worldwide concerts that did so much for the “climate in crisis”? Yeah, I remember that.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve about had it with this event bullshit.

  • Can we really say the current warming trend is “the greatest threat” the Earth has ever faced? What about the ice ages of the past? Or periods of space bombardment? Or World War II and nuclear weapons? I mean, come on.
  • At best, these events come out neutral in terms of net energy consumption/reduction. More than likely, they probably have the opposite of their intended effect. Think of all the TVs and computers tuned to the Live Earth concerts last year. The same thing will happen with Earth Hour.
  • Do these events really inspire change? I would argue that they actually make people complacent – “I don’t need to walk today, I participated in Earth Hour!”

Instead of turning the lights out for an hour, I’d rather see the City of Edmonton do something that would actually make a difference, such as replacing all our old street and traffic lights with new, energy efficient ones.

Read: Earth Hour


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  • http://www.RichFullLife.ca Chris LaBossiere

    Mack:

    Too much coffee today?

    Although I tend to agree with you that this may not have a significant or lasting effect on carbons in the atmosphere, it has to be recognized as just one small way to increase awareness.

    It’s marketing, which has it’s place in anything. The easier the word is spread about energy conservation, the better chance there will be lasting change in the use of Non-Renewable resources like Coal and Natural Gas, which play a large part in the creation of energy.

    At the very least, it can’t hurt. Of course we need to make lasting changes and real impact, but that will come as awareness increases. the World is changing from all of this. It’s like the smoking issue. Just 25 years ago, when you were not even with us, people were smoking in the aisles at Safeway and on Airplanes holding their babies on thier laps. Now you would be tackled by security….it’s marketing dude.

    And that’s coming from an old, crusty, grouchy son-of-a-bitch like me who really shouldn’t give a damn ;)

  • http://blog.mastermaq.ca Mack D. Male

    Chris, thanks for the comment. Maybe the marketing doesn’t hurt, but I’m not convinced it helps either.

    Anyway, it’s not about marketing, it’s about incentives.

    Stay addicted to smoking, and you’ll likely kill yourself. That’s a strong incentive to quit.

    Stay addicted to wasting energy, and…well, you’re not going to know what will happen. There’s no incentive for you to quit (aside from a weak moral obligation to future humans).

    If we really want to stop climate change, we should hurry up and make it possible to live forever :)

  • Charlie Bing

    Sad, so sad… raging against the machine when you could just as easily celebrate an event that could do some good, might raise awareness and perhaps save a bit of energy along the way. Like Chris said, “it can’t hurt”. You want the city to spend a ton of money on street light upgrades instead of doing something for free? That doesn’t compute (in your words, it’s bullshit): why not do the free thing AND replace the street lights?

  • http://blog.mastermaq.ca Mack D. Male

    Remind me, again, what the free thing accomplishes besides making everyone feel better about themselves for a day or two?

  • http://martin.eclecticblogs.ca Martin

    Oilers play the Flames at 8:00pm on the 29th so my TV and lights will be on so I can yell at the game. Now, if they want to do this lights out thing at say 3:00am, I’m all for it. Besides, I don’t keep extra lights on in the house in the evenings anyway. And it isn’t about global warming either, it’s about those nasty power bills.

  • http://blog.mastermaq.ca Mack D. Male

    If the Oilers play the way they did tonight, wouldn’t you rather turn the lights and TV off? ;)

  • Inge

    considering how many people probably still leave their lights on when they really shouldn’t probably nullifies whatever effect this Earth Hour will have, or the number of people who don’t turn off their monitors upon leaving their workstation…

    anyway, on the bright side Mack, it would make for a SWEET ASS PHOTO if all the lights were off haha.

  • Inge

    wait, forgot to stick my point in there, I was thinking about the picture opportunities haha

    the point is, raising awareness is a good thing, the idea is that turning off your lights for one hour does relatively nothing compared to if you get people to form the habit to turn off their lights when not in use. So, Earth Hour can’t hurt from that viewpoint.

    However, what does irk me is that it’s not like initiatives to get ppl aware about this is new, it’s the fact that now that everyone is shitting bricks about the polar ice caps and global warming, it’s the hip thing to do. Alas, it’s only when society deems wasting energy and polluting the environment isn’t cool that causes the masses to change.

  • Mike

    I can’t believe how brainwashed all you people are. You’re falling for a big hoax. Global warming is a hoax, they just want to put in a carbon tax and institute rolling blackouts to teach you to live as slaves to your government. Wake up, people, and learn the truth behind this. Global warming is a hoax. Climate change is normal, and is caused by the sun heating up. There is “global warming” happening on Mars and Europa. There’s nothing mankind can really do to change the climate with any significance. Ask Al Gore why he owns multiple huge mansions and flies everywhere on jets. He’s a hypocrite as are all of these global warming zealots who think they can tell everyone what to do.

  • Terry

    Earth hour is a scam. I highly doubt the huge corporates that have turned our planet in to a massive pile of shit are in the dark right now. Jews especially.

  • http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html Steve

    I am right with you, I am SICK of anything and everything global warming.

    Global warming is one of, if not THE largest fraud perpetrated on the world.

    From John Coleman, the founder of the Weather Channel:
    http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html

    Let me illustrate. I estimate that this square in front of my face contains 100,000 molecules of atmosphere. Of those 100,000 only 38 are CO2; 38 out of a hundred thousand. That makes it a trace component. Let me ask a key question: how can this tiny trace upset the entire balance of the climate of Earth? It can’t. That’s all there is to it; it can’t.

    The UN IPCC has attracted billions of dollars for the research to try to make the case that CO2 is the culprit of run-away, man-made global warming. The scientists have come up with very complex creative theories and done elaborate calculations and run computer models they say prove those theories. They present us with a concept they call radiative forcing. The research organizations and scientists who are making a career out of this theory, keep cranking out the research papers. Then the IPCC puts on big conferences at exotic places, such as the recent conference in Bali. The scientists endorse each other’s papers, they are summarized and voted on, and voila, we are told global warming is going to kill us all unless we stop burning fossil fuels.

    May I stop here for a few historical notes? First, the internal combustion engine and gasoline were awful polluters when they were first invented. And, both gasoline and automobile engines continued to leave a layer of smog behind right up through the 1960’s. Then science and engineering came to the environmental rescue. Better exhaust and ignition systems, catalytic converters, fuel injectors, better engineering throughout the engine and reformulated gasoline have all contributed to a huge reduction in the exhaust emissions from today’s cars. Their goal then was to only exhaust carbon dioxide and water vapor, two gases widely accepted as natural and totally harmless. Anyone old enough to remember the pall of smog that used to hang over all our cities knows how much improvement there has been. So the environmentalists, in their battle against fossil fuels and automobiles had a very good point forty years ago, but now they have to focus almost entirely on the once harmless carbon dioxide. And, that is the rub. Carbon dioxide is not an environmental problem; they just want you now to think it is.

    So go about your lives…global warming is a crock of BS that you wouldn’t even ‘know about’ if it wasn’t for a bunch of guvment funded scientists pining for more guvment money.

    Socal Steve

  • Allen Foster

    Mack, I believe you are 100% dead on. Global warming is a scare tatic to get us to buy an over priced piece a crap car. Or a $80,000 wind mill for our house or the billions spent on crap commercial wind mills. No one pays attention to the fact that we must run fossil fuel power plants at 90% of the wind mills to handle the switch when there is no wind. My favorite is the piece of crap toyota prius. I have rented one for a period of time and it is a piece. It sucks on the highway and get gas milage the same as a 2008 cadilac. I could just turn my engine off a lights and do the same thing.

    How about the ethenal push and the fact that it takes more engery to make it than it would ever be worth. This has also cause food shortages. Cause other foods to rise in price and so on.

    Don’t get me wrong we all can be responsable but we should choose for ourselfs not have it shoved down our throats. As with the CFL bulbs that we must all use by 2010. What are we all going to do when the dumb dirty hippies throw them in the trash or break them. Mercury is used to make a flouresnt bulb you dipshits. I will stop my rant here. Thank you.

  • fabeskins

    Right on, some people in here are getting it right, i’m sick of global warming being the excuse to get involved in my life and make me do whatever. Sick of the lies, disinfo and the fraud. Global Warming is a hoax to create a global carbon tax, among other things like creating a whole industry for government spending. It’s all bullshit.

  • Kathy

    Great, now we get to sit back and be lectured by the Greens about how evil mankind is causing Global Climate Change-oops, I mean Global Cooling. Think they could be talked into marching into the sea like the lemmings that they are?

  • maratla

    I still can not figure out our it is snowing in vegas. Water main are freezing, it snows in southern Cali and yet we are in a global warming. The whole green movement is just prof of how idiot and follow the retard this planet is. How can anyone look and listen to the great leader the dipshit Gore and believe that there is an ounce of truth to Global warming. If the planet is warming we have nothing to do with it. I really do get sick and pissed listening every two minutes about how we are screwing the planet. We are not that great people get your own original thought and then come back to the table.

  • dave

    It is encouraging to finally see people starting to ask questions.
    If you are beginning to suspect that someone is starting to force feed you shit, well you are totally correct.
    Global warming (now called climate change) is and always has been a hoax.
    I recently read an article where a environmental activist was shocked at how nicely he was treated and how generous the donations were from individuals employed in the oil industry.
    I am not employed by the oil industry but I do have a small baseball bat by my door whose purpose is to be used on the first environmentalist who disobeys my “off the property in less than 5 seconds” rule.
    I wonder what the attitude of the dupes will be when they are no longer employed and losing their homes. There is a time coming when the whole environmental, climate change money machine will be grinding to a abrupt halt.
    At that point there will be no place to hide for these cowards.
    Those who have been kept silent and labelled deniers or even heretics will finally be heard.

  • Dylan

    What are you people talking about? Global warming is absolutely real, and there are many scientists who say so. You might want to think about why that is. Global warming is not propaganda. The real propaganda is that global warming is a marketing strategy. It isn’t. It’s the OIL COMPANIES that are trying to rip us off.

    When fossil fuels burn, it releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which traps the sun’s heat. It’s the greenhouse effect. Why do you think the planet Venus is so hot? It’s the GREENHOUSE EFFECT! Venus has lots of carbon dioxide in it’s atmosphere. And if we keep burning fossil fuels, we’ll destroy earth and turn it into a scorching flaming ball of shit.

    And even if global warming was false, it still is a bad idea to burn fossil fuels because they are not renewable. Switch to solar, wind, and geothermal power rather than coal and gasoline.

    Renewable energies are cheap because once you install a solar panel or wind turbine, it POWERS ITSELF! It’s self-sustainable and you don’t need to keep buying fossil fuels to burn or hire workers to run a power plant. Plus, you can sell your extra energy back to the DWP for profit.

  • http://None God

    DYLAN, please do not refer to My Earth as a “flaming ball of shit”. And FYI, only I have the power to destroy Earth because I created it. And as for this Global Warming crap, I just shovelled 7 inches of it off of my sidewalk. And Mr. Dylan, please try think outside of the Liberal box. That’s what I taught My Son to do. Love… =)

  • Chris Hood

    WOW!!! I was beginning to think I was alone…I AM SO TIRED OF HEARING THAT SHIT!!! Global warming this, Carbon offset that..SHIIIIIITTTTTT!!! I feel like I’m being indoctrinated or something.

    Don’t even get me started on those Esurance commercials!!!!

    Chris
    Cols Ga

  • http://www.dagwoodsystems.com Tim Alberstein

    Global warming–as it’s currently sold–is complete BS. And no, no REAL climate scientist (well, save for that one schmuck at NASA) really believes this crap anymore. And neither do most of you naysayers. That’s why you’ve fallen back on the “well, it can’t hurt” argument.

    Really? How do you know? Who knew that the streamlined farming methods used today, which are clearly a benefit to the majority of the world, would also inadvertently cause an increase in plankton and jellyfish growth WHILE decreasing “normal” fish life…all due to fertilizer runoff.

    And how many people have been truly ‘killed’ by the use of atomic power? Hmmm? OK, now how many people have been killed by falling off their rooftops while washing their solar panels (a needed process for efficiency)? Yeah. I’ll bet you forgot to look at that statistic.

    Do I even need to bring up the whole environmental thing about CFL replacement bulbs? Fact: Long lasting and more efficient than incandescent. Questionable: People will properly recycle compact fluorescent bulbs because they contain mercury.

    Get it? You can’t sit there and angrily spout your “facts” when neither you are I have a clear crystal ball to stare in to. You remind me of a culture long ago that was absolutely sure that a car could never go 60 mph because your eyeballs would crush and heart would fail. Puhleeese.

    Instead, I encourage you to be graceful in accepting the fact that all humans DESERVE to be here, that we ARE SMART and have our best interest in mind, BUT that we might actually [God forbid] make a mistake or two along the way.

    Only the sick are really out to send us all to hell on a one-way ticket with a scorched Earth. Realize that there are very few in the world that think that way; you are a victim of media fear-mongering. C’mon dude. God gave you room to convolute your brain cells and get smarter. Try it.

    Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to trash the Earth either. And I’m NOT a Republican, nor a staunch supporter of atomic energy. I’m a promoter of using your noggin.

    Sure, it’s OK to argue any topic from an emotional standpoint. But you should have proper reasoning to back it up.

  • Flu-Bird

    Earth Hour just another stupid idea from a bunch of eco-freak jerks i mean its totaly rediculous just as idiotic as this stupid PLEDGE TO THE EARTH we dont need this rediculous eco-crap being forced on us by the even green nazis under the green swastka HITLER WAS A ENVIROMENTALIST

  • Professor D

    Global warming is total BS. Read Lubos Motl’s blog for some sensible insight into this hoax from someone that is about 50 IQ points higher than Al Gore et al, and can actually do real science. And while I’m at it, I’d also like to say that when I see Brad Pitt and Paris Hilton and Al Gore and Plaxico Burress, and every moron that appears on an MTV spoiled brat show give up their opulent lifestyles I’ll consider turning off a few light bulbs. Until then, they can shove it. And in closing, global warming certainly beats the alternative, global cooling, which would result in orders of magnitude greater destruction of various species, not to mention people too. But hey, since the existence of people is so evil and horrific, then extrapolating the liberal line of reasonong to its logical conclusion, that would be a good thing, right? Thank you, you’ve been a lovely audience :-)

  • Jeremy

    Wow – who’d have thought this post would still be attracting lunatics almost a year later?!?!

  • Is it getting hot in here>?

    I remember 5 years ago in Minneapolis, they had to cancel the Global warming confrence due to excessive below zero temps……42 below…..Al Gore wanted to shoot a bear but Peta stepped in and said no just go buy a warmer jacket. If you believe this global shift change crap, take a look around you today..watch the news and repeat after me………..FOLLOW THE MONEY!!!! It will answer all your questions about the government and global warming/

  • Grex

    I fully agree this Global Warming crap is just that….crap. We as humans are a little to cocky to think we have and impact that large on a global scale. The argument could be better made just to find alternative energy sources.

    Real scientists are seeing a gradual axis tilt beginning and a definite cooling trend. Hell it snowed in New Orleans in early December it never even snows in New Orleans.

    Gore is a fake

  • resisfutal

    What I can’t figure out is who gains by spreading such BS. Selling books? Human beings are the worst thing that ever happened anywhere period. They lie, cheat, steal and Murder!! I’m ashamed to be associated with them. Who cares if the planet goes to Hell. Were supposed to save the planet for who?, Greedy murderous power hungry politicians that tell us to? Mankind is never going to advance as long as our leaders, the people who we elect are corrupt. And the only way to get elected is to be as corrupt as the guy before you. Step on who ever you have to. Your own Mother would be sweept under the rug if need be. Humans, who needs them?

  • Ed Maunder

    I will celebrate the Earth hour by turning on every light in the house and my outside floods, sit in my electrically heated spa, watch the earth hour events on my big screen TV and thank God and Nikola Tesla that I do not have to live in the dark and burn wood to keep warm like my ancestors. If this planet can survive being hit by asteroids, air temp warming by a few degrees C isn’t gonna do shit.

  • Eldon

    I agree that this Earth Hour is complete and utter bullshit.
    It’s pop culture eco-ism.
    It creates the impression something is being accomplished, when nothing is.
    I can’t believe people are actually having ‘Earth Hour’ parties (aka pissups by candle-light)
    This is complete shit..
    I too will celebrate Earth Hour like I did last year,,
    By turning on every light in and outside of my house.
    Then I will sit on my well lit front deck and laugh at my idiot neighbours as they pat each other on the back for being good little brainwashed sheep.. Bahhh Bahhhh…

  • notoearthhour

    For those of you who claim that this will help ‘raise awareness’… I for one do not want to be made more aware of a bunch of fabricated lies made by the environmentalists, nor be inconvenienced by an hour of darkness.

    It is amazing that people are actually that gullible to think that switching off lights or using reusable shopping bags etc will help to ‘save the environment’, and that tons of money are actually pumped in to fund and organize such events. The fairy tale gospel according to Al Gore must be exposed for the fraud it is.

  • Richard

    Earth Hour? Bullshit hour, more like!

    Here’s the real way to save our home planet… stop having so many kids. It really is that simple.

    But nobody wants to face that simple truth.

    Instead, all bemoan the internal combustion engine; the lack of walking to work; the standby feature of modern electrical goods; air travel; you name it – everyone thinks it’s part of the terrible apocolypse. But the ever-growing, never shrinking, number of humans is never seriously blamed. As Bill Hicks said, we’re like a virus with shoes.

    Incidentally, my wife & I chose not to have kids, I walk whenever I can and have no car.

    Can I have a tax rebate, please!

  • on no global colding is coming!

    Im just wondering how long its gonna be till these witchdoctors start taking credit for “fixing” global warming now that we have had to years of colder avg’s. I mean give me a break, the record for heat was set in the 1909, and it still stands today. These people were tha same people that used eclipses to scare the natives into believing their gods! Give us a break i’m turning on shit till im popping circuit breakers, just to say F You liberal fear mongers!

  • resisfutal

    I wouldn’t want the government telling me that I can’t have any children. But I do get a kick out of how every time a new law or tax pops up its to preserve life in someway. Seatbelt laws, No smoking indoors or the ever popular birth control. Thats just what this planet needs, More people that live longer and longer:)

    I’m thinking of donating a tank of gas to earth hour. I’ll leave the car running just for the hell of it while I mow the lawn with my gas powered mower.

    One more thing if I may: Is it not ironic that in order to save the planet we have to put an end to “green house gasses” that are actually good for everything “GREEN” that grows? So are we saving the planet for the planets sake? Or for the future of mankind that keeps multipling and using up all the natural resources anyway? WOW!

  • Kevin

    “Global” is the big scare word now to get people to part with their money. Let’s see a politician came out and said the world is going to collapse and it can only be fixed by TAXING us….and people buy into this.

    If you ever watch Mr. Gore’s video you will notice that he never puts his two graphs together for CO2…..y’know why? Because if he did it would show that CO2 doesn’t precede the warming. CO2 follows the warming trend.

    Look at the climate changes on Jupiter. Are they going to argue we caused that too? No, the Sun did.

    It’s time to wake up and stop drinking the Kool-Aid people.

  • Kevin

    Just thought I would add this:
    “U.N. ‘Climate Change’ Plan Would Likely Shift Trillions to Form New World Economy”
    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510937,00.html
    Because fear is the best way to control and collect.
    Let the sheep enjoy their new masters.

  • Kat

    I’m actually considering turning on a few extra lights. I conserve anyways; it’s called being smart. If more people were smart, Big Brother wouldn’t be able to guilt everyone so easily. I’ve never heard of anything more retarded. I wonder how high crime will skyrocket during that hour?

  • EdmAreEducated.

    It is awesome to see that the people of Edmonton are very educated on what is going on. This hour is part of their conversion for their continued control. But knowing is only a step.

  • Fatony

    Global warming is bull. The scientist that have actually put time into research know that rising temps directly correlate to an increased number of sunspots. thats funny the other planets are warming just the same as earth.

  • Fatony

    I have a idea! Nobody drive anywhere for a whole day. Let’s shut the airlines down for a month. Al Gore won’t need his personal jet I’m sure since he’s working so hard on admiring his bull**** documentary and nobel prize.

  • Robert

    Earth Hour is to bullshit as Al Gore is to eco-terrorist.

    I’m getting sick and tired of people actually complying with this global scam. Why the hell is anyone listening to these eco-freaks who hate modern life? If it was up to them we wouldn’t even have lights to turn off. We’d be reading by candle light, eating bugs, and riding stick bikes.

    Jesus Christ this has gone too far. It’s time for the sensible people to take back the sanity.

  • Dave

    I love the way the wobbly-kneed, bedwetting hippie pukes use language to try and give themselves and their misguided little cause a sense of gravitas:

    “…a global movement…” to “…stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced.”

    Fuck.
    Me.
    Dead.

    They forgot to employ the other favored hippiefuck tactic–reducing the most complicated issue to a simple question that needs to be asked in the most child-like way possible.

    Fucking eco-jackoffs make me fucking puke. (And I’m a left-of-center kinda guy.) But not as much as the simple-minded dribbledicks that buy the whole “golbal warming”…er, uh…excuse me, I meant, “climate change” line of shit in Al Gore’s Powerpoint presentation.

    Damn. People are fucking stupid.

  • http://mastermaq chris

    I think its kind of strange an e.p.a. scientist said global warming was some made up bullshit, but now he is told to quit with his research since General Electric owns Obama and also holds 95 percent of the patents for going green. If global warming was such a big deal how come the past 3 winters have been the coldest on record. If it was this huge deal im sure Al Gores carbon footprint would be huge all the shit he uses. Go green is going to cost us a lot of green since G.E. has the president in thier back pocket for this go green shit. Okay so say we go green in the scheme of things well were just one place. This is a big ass planet and everyone would have to go green so this is some bullshit so ge with it patents can make a shit load. G.e. owns nbc so thats why they are all over obamas jock free press in return for go green go figure. Chicago is the most politically corrupt place in the u.s.

  • Shaun Paine

    Global warming, hmm well if it where that simple. First off any change is going to affect everyone over time. second warming and cooling is cyclical. No amount of human activity can so upset the balance of the global energy exchange system . I don’t care how many cows fart in Wisconsin or cars Idol in LA. The fact is the cyclical nature of global cooling and warming has been going on since the Earth was formed. I thin various races of animals and there disappearances can attest to that. If the data is correct the show us the UN-edited RAW data !!!!! No statistical tricks of Biasing and Offsetting and Skewing for time or location or season or what ever excuse you happen to be using today.
    Al Gore, when he give up his jet, his multiple houses and his mansion and live lie the rest of us then Ill truly believe in Global Warming…..

  • Gerbilleer

    Even i agree with God, and im an aethiest…