Electricity

As I wander down the street on some ponderous nights, I wonder worthlessly Why all the light?

Imagine: living with all the creature comforts of home… without using any electricity from the power companies. Possible? Yes!!

“Off” doesn’t really mean “off” like it used to. Instead, “off” is now “stand-by” for a large number of electrical appliances. Stand-by power allows certain functions to remain active, such as internal timers. For this reason, you are paying money on each electric bill for energy you didn’t think you were using.

My students run water like crazy while washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc. They put a couple articles of clothing into a whole washing machine load. They blast the air conditioner while having the windows open, and they constantly leave lights on.

I recently flew into LA on a connecting flight. I have never been to California, but have some friends from there and have naturally heard a lot about the state. Nothing prepared me for what I saw, however.

On March 29, 2008 organizers of EarthHour 2008 asked people in 20 cities around the world to turn off their electricity for one hour. The goal was to one raise awareness about the effects of climate change and human impact on the environment as well as demonstrate that individuals can team up on a massive scale and impact Earth for the better.