Earth Hour…Not Just a One Night Stand
Saturday March 26th, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., is Earth Hour. It's an annual global event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund and supported locally by the Yukon Conservation Society, Yukon Energy, the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre, and others. The idea is for everyone to show their support for the fight against climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and reducing energy usage any other ways they can.
Yukon Energy will track the electrical consumption for that hour to find out how much was saved. Check our blog on March 28th for the results. Last year during Earth Hour, Yukoners reduced their consumption by 800 kilowatts (the equivalent of turning off 8,000 100-watt light bulbs for one hour). Let's see if we can do even better this year.
Of course Earth Hour is about much more than turning off the lights for 60 minutes. We'd like Yukoners to use the time to make plans and take action to reduce energy use year round, particularly in the winter when there is the greatest demand for electricity in the territory.
We'd love to hear what you'll be doing during Earth Hour to reduce your energy consumption. Send us a note via this blog describing your Earth Hour plans and we'll enter your name in a draw for a selection of energy-saving devices for your home.
To get your creativity flowing, visit the World Wildlife Fund's website where you'll find lots of Earth Hour ideas. You'll find energy conservation tips to use year-round on our own website.
Comments
by Stephanie
This year I will be flicking off my breaker and taking my dog for a nice, long walk. I better enjoy this weather while it lasts. Plus I won’t have to worry about my food in the fridge as it will stay good for up to 6 hours as long as the door stays closed.
I’m also starting a weekly earth hour at my house to conserve energy.
03.23.2011
by Yukon Energy
Sounds like a great evening. We especially like your idea of having a weekly Earth Hour.
03.23.2011
by Joel
Along with the lights going off in our home, the surge protectors and battery backups will be going off for the TV and all the computers.
03.25.2011
by Lewis Rifkind
My television and computer are plugged into surge protectors. When either device is not being used, it is turned off at the surge protector, thus ensuring no ‘ghost’ load is consumed by the device.
As a treat, I’ve started buying one or two LED lightbulbs each paycheque. Yes, they are expensive, but they use so little energy compared with incandescents and even CFLs that there will be savings on my electricity bill (not to mention the reduced power demand on the grid). As a bonus, they last virtually forever. But for Earth Hour I’ll also be turning these off.
03.25.2011
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