It’s the 16th annual “Earth Hour” tonight. Wherever you are on this planet between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (local time) you’re supposed to turn off all your electric lights to “do something good for the planet.”
I suspect that the greens want us to get used to living in darkness. Whatever the reason, you will never see such an outpouring of preening, self-congratulatory chest-thumping on the part of insufferable green nincompoops for the rest of the year.
Turning off the Empire State Building lights or the lights on the Eiffel Tower will not, ever, in a million years, do anything to draw awareness to the cause of — what, exactly?
The reason for all this hullaballoo is a little fuzzy. Battling climate change is most often mentioned but also we’re preserving scarce resources and becoming more aware of the environment.
Very zen, you see.
The lights-out moment is expected to stretch to dozens of countries, including major landmarks. Past participants and those expected to be involved this year include the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House, according to the WWF.
Organizers are also encouraging people around the globe to “switch off” themselves and take a break from daily distractions to think about ways to help the environment.
Earth Hour is the moment when greens can indulge themselves and drown in self-congratulatory twaddle. “We’re saving the planet, man. How cool is that?”
And to help you immerse yourself in the celebration, you can go to the Earth Hour website and find ways to be even more ostentatiously conscientious about the planet.
Don’t know where to start? The website offers some suggestions to get you in the mood.
1. Read any two articles about biodiversity, nature loss, or climate change.
2. Watch an educational video from the WWF.
3. Listen to an approved nature podcast.
This is very serious business. We’re not only expected to turn off our lights, but also “give an hour” to the earth.
Over 410,374 people in 182 countries & territories are pledging to give:
34,794 hours Reconnecting with our planet
32,554 hours Restoring our planet
327,782 hours Learning more about our planet
9,660 hours Inspiring others to take care for our planet
I would give an hour to hunt baby seals or start drilling an oil well but I don’t think that’s what they had in mind.
Related: The Green Radicals Even Want to Ruin Our Ice Cream Now
Seriously, I am not totally anti-green. I am opposed to my fellow humans believing themselves to be better than me because they turn off their fricking lights. Sheesh! Enough already.
“Earth Hour has always been powered by the people – and you don’t need to be a Greta Thunberg or David Attenborough to inspire others to act,” the website enthuses.
The article points out that “As of Friday evening, more than 380,000 people from 173 countries and territories around the world had signed up.” When you consider there are nearly 8 billion people on planet earth, that’s kind of pathetic, don’t you think?
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