Earth Hour
Tyler Baker and Joel Anders, Emporia
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
OUR NAMES are Tyler Baker and Joel Anders; we are 13 and 14 years old. We just wanted to ask the residents of Emporia to make a statement and please turn off all non-essential equipment, appliances and lights that use electricity for one hour; this is important because to do this will save a lot of energy.
The first Earth Hour was held two years ago in Sydney, Australia. Earth Hour is a project sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund to promote awareness of energy and how we can conserve it. If you think that you will get bored, here are some things we found on the Internet you could do. Take a relaxing bath by candlelight, go for a walk with a flashlight, look at the stars, play 20 questions or other games, sit outside with your significant other or your family and talk, make some plans. Career? College? Summer vacation? Just talk. Play the guitar and sing, knit, crochet, quilt, paint or do something crafty by candlelight, read a book or magazine with a flashlight. Got kids? Get out the camping gear, set up a tent and tell ghost stories, or plan a few harmless April Fool’s Day pranks. Take this time to change out your light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
What if you don’t live within the confines of the City of Emporia? Can you participate? Well, of course, the date and time is 8 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Plus, this is a really cool way to conserve energy.
Tyler Baker and Joel Anders
Emporia
madpoet (anonymous) says...
WWF sent out a notice on this also. I'm glad youong people went to the trouble to write a letter about it.
We found some nice cfl bulbs at Walgreens that give off a nice clear light. Get the daylight ones. If you leave your cell phone charger plugged in, it still sucks electriticty even if your phone isn't on it. Don't ask me why, but that it what I've been told. And please turn your pc off at night. So many people just leave them on standby 24/7. We've tried to cut our electric bill as much as possible. It helps the Earth and our pocketbook.
March 25, 2009 at 2:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ZaneRokklyn (anonymous) says...
I heard there was once an experiment in China where a TV station pointed a camera at the main meter at a power plant, and challenged viewers to make it go down by turning off extra equipment (assuming their TVs were not extra). That would make a great addition to this project, so we could see that we're making a difference.
March 26, 2009 at 7:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bdprotheroe (anonymous) says...
http://www.earthhourus.org/main.php
The home page of the link above provides a finely crafted video about Earth Hour, specifically its purpose and how it was celebrated around the globe in 2008. Truly, it is an amazing event; not only to save energy and raise awareness of the important issue of climate change, but to watch the entire City go dark in a matter of seconds is (for lack of better words) really cool.
Additionally, the website provides a list of key and supporting cities across the U.S. that are participating in Earth Hour and the many coordinated activities.
Brian Protheroe
San Francisco, CA
March 26, 2009 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Why not have school 4 days a week rather than 5
March 26, 2009 at 3:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hogan77 (anonymous) says...
Observation: The point of Earth Hour is not to make it convenient for you. The point is to learn some responsibility for your actions, and try to learn to conserve energy.
Sorry it would take you away from sitting here, blasting your comments all over the Gazette website, or whatever else you would be doing for that hour. Why don't you just try to join in? It isn't that hard to turn off the lights for an hour, unplug the toaster (who in the world makes toast at that hour anyway?), or to read a book by candle light.
I think these two boys have the right idea, writing a letter to the Gazette in hopes that some people will read it and actually participate. Kudos to them! All of you old dogs who are set in your ways could learn a little something from these teens.
March 27, 2009 at 2:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
intheknow (anonymous) says...
I just want to give the two teenage boys a pat on the back for being so mindfull of what is going on around them.. I don't think to many kids ages 13 and 14 would care.. So in fact I would have to say give their parents kuddos too for doing such a great job raising two wonderful addition to our society! Job well done!
March 27, 2009 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hogan77 (anonymous) says...
Crack: I was being sarcastic. Geeze.
March 27, 2009 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Just for that, I'm gonna make some toast right now!!!
Well done, Tyler Baker and Joel Anders. Not only am I impressed that someone your age would be motivated enough to take the time to write a letter to the editor, but I am also impressed with how well you articulated your ideas.
We need to all be awake in more ways than one to the lessons we can learn through this exercise of Earth Day. Look around you. In my case, I have the computer on, the TV is on, a lamp is on, the light above the sink is on...dang!
Thanks for the reminder to get clear cfl bulbs, madpoet. Will get some at Walgreen's. I have the unclear kind and not always happy with the candlepower.
Tomorrow night, I plan to quilt by candlelight just to see what it must have felt like in the days before electricity when women still quilted despite the low light.
March 27, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )