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Life and Vincent

Welcome to the world of the Vincent D'Onofrio obsessed - and a bit of real life thrown in.


Thursday, June 21, 2007

Lights Out London

Today is the longest day, and Capital Radio in London decided to launch a campaign to have people across the capital switch off all non-essential lights for one hour, from 9pm to 10pm. They are also calling on people to turn off at the mains appliances that are not in use, instead of leaving them on standby. They are hoping to save as much carbon as it would take to run 4,000 cars.

The campaign has been picked up on by the Mayor of London, and also by other towns across the world. Many big businesses are taking part. Let's hope that a huge number of people join in, and that they keep their new habit going in the long term.

Every one of us needs to reduce his/her carbon footprint if we are to have any hope of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and solve the problem of global warming. If we make our next car smaller and less polluting, switch off the air conditioning, turn down the central heating a degree or two in winter - and try to introduce renewable energy to our homes - we might make a difference yet.

Here endeth the first lesson!
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6 comments:

JoJo said...

Aren't many people in bed by 9-10 pm anyway? Is this lights-out campaign for all summer or just for today? I'm happy to turn off appliances and lights, but my air con stays ON!

As for the cars, try telling that to the morally bankrupt Americanos who have to have Hummers and other ginormous gas sucking vehicles. The thing that really kills me is that they never actually take their SUV's and Hummers off road. At least long ago Europeans grasped the concept of having small cars.

And BTW, now I have the Clash's "Capitol Radio" stuck in my head. lol

8:03 pm
Claire said...

I'm for it! Lucky for me it gets cool here at night and if I work the window blinds just right I don't have to turn on the A/C unless it gets over 95. I must admit I really hate paying big electric bills.

8:24 pm
Anonymous said...

OK, this is where I should shut up, but.....
The carbon footprint thing is the funniest thing I've ever heard. Since every lifeform on this planet is carbon-based, just sitting here, I'm leaving TWO carbon footprints. Like the rest of mankind, I also breathe out CO2....so the logical answer then is for us all to stop breathing and preferably disappear.
I'm not saying things aren't happening to the planet, but maybe that big 'old yellow thing called the sun might just have something to do with it. Everyone should be forced to watch the documentary 'The Great Global Warming Swindle'. The graphs on temperature change mirror those of sunspot activity NOT a raise in CO2 levels (there's a 70,000 year gap between temperature rises and elevated CO2 levels)....but no one wants to hear that of course, especially when the 'theory' is used as a taxation tool.
Sorry Val, I told you I should have shut up ;0)

8:37 pm
In Ink said...

FACT: The rise in CO2 levels is driven by global warming. If it was the other way around I would drive a Yaris instead of a Mustang and live in a cave.

This planet has survived catastrophes beyond our comprehension and will still be around long after we are gone...well, until the sun blows up at least.

9:28 pm
Nezumi said...

Here it's still light between 9pm and 10pm, so no light needed.
I do hope that the sea rising thing is getting on hold, we could get some trouble overhere.

9:56 pm
val said...

Diane, I heard about the programme you mentioned, but I didn't see it. I reamain unconvinced. What if the doom-merchants are right and we do nothing? If we DO save on emissions, everyone wins, whether carbon is the problem or not. We spend less, use up the planet more slowly (apparently if every person consumed at the rate or the west, we'd need 3 planets) and have better air to breathe.

A progamme I did see was about global dimming, which is caused by the gunk we send high up into the atmosphere, especailly by flying. It dims the skies and actually reduces global warming, and when the planes were grounded after 9/11 and the skies cleared, the temperatures rose measurably.

Michael, so sorry, I didn't know you were THE world's greatest (if not only) expert on global warming, and that only if you drive a Prius (not a Yaris as you said) is there a need for the rest of the world's population to worry. Please tell us what your position in the world's scientific and meteorological fraternity you hold.

8:07 pm

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