Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi
Google users in the United Kingdom will notice today that we "turned the lights out" on the Google.co.uk homepage as a gesture to raise awareness of a worldwide energy conservation effort called Earth Hour. As to why we don't do this permanently - it saves no energy; modern displays use the same amount of power regardless of what they display. However, you can do something to reduce the energy consumption of your home PC by joining the Climate Savers Computing Initiative.On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.
[google.co.uk...]
Well the regular white-bread-google-screen came back before this "Earth Day" lights out PR stunt was over...
what am I supposed to do between 8 and 9 this evening?
Sorry to come out with such an old cliche but... get a life.
It was an interesting experiment.
Thanks to Google for bringing it to my attention.
As someone correctly pointed out, turning off lights and electrical applications for one hour (I didn't turn off my fridge freezer but everything else in my flat was off) is "low hanging fruit" which, is relatively easy to commit to and won't have much impact. (That said, I'm really keen to read the stats when they are published).
But what yesterday's event did do, indisputably, is show how many people around the world are thinking about non-renewable energy enough to commit to some relatively small decrease in their annual consumption*.
Of course the question is whether the project only yields results because the challenge is unambitious.
Maybe we should do something with more impact, like raise electric rates by 1,000% for one day and donate the proceeds to renewable energy research ;)
Hmm. You're joking, but I think this is a good idea.
* As I read ever more about climate change, I'm less certain than I ever was that man-made CO2 is actually responsible for heating up the planet. However, I am certain that prioritising development of sustainable, renewable energy sources can only be a good thing, regardless of the impact of burning fossil fuels.
what am I supposed to do between 8 and 9 this evening?
Sorry to come out with such an old cliche but... get a life.
Unless I misunderstood something, you can't have much of a life during Earth Hour. For instance, you definitely can't leave your house - if you do then the lights would have been off anyway and you've effectively not participated. What I really should have had was a couple of candles so I could have read a book. Anyway I survived by looking out the window (almost no lights went off), text-messaging a few friends, brainstorming some slogans for a new campaign and doing some physical exercises.
How did everyone else survive?
turning off lights and electrical applications
candles
Burning hydrocarbons is a strange way of showing support for a campaign to burn less hydrocarbons(!)
modern displays use the same amount of power regardless of what they display
Google's black design actually uses (marginally) more power on LCD screens up to 22" in size, but uses significantly less power on CRTs (source [techlogg.com]). YWMV...
Google getting further politically active alienates people. Google should be neutral as most large corporations typically are.
But, based on Google employees public political positions, campaign contributions, keeping hate sites on Google News, aiding Communist censorship policies in China; it seems that the die is cast.
She survived as did the rest of us. I didn't look at this as a way to "save energy" but more of a way remind us that we don't need technology to have a good evening. It is what you make of it.
I believe this is big mistake on Google's part. Google getting further politically active alienates people.
Why yes, expressing their concern for the environment is such a HUGE mistake and will alienate their important user base of drooling red necks.
Google isn't Fox news. They actually embrace the 21st century.
Why yes, expressing their concern for the environment is such a HUGE mistake and will alienate their important user base of drooling red necks.
Why use personal attacks on those you don't agree with?
Surely, you will agree that the concept of human-caused 'global warming' is a highly debatable and scientifically unsettled issue? Ask the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, etc which just set the record for most snow fall in recorded history.
Perhaps, they did not get the memo that global warming is real.
major North American extinction event
That will actually be a world extinction event - due to volcanic dust blocking out the sun.
But at least England won't explode, we can look forward to dying slowly by torchlight.
Google's black design actually uses (marginally) more power on LCD screens up to 22" in size, but uses significantly less power on CRTs
Well duhh. LCD's are white by default, I imagine turning the entire screen black registers a few milliamps or so. Whereas CRT's are black by default.
Surely, you will agree that the concept of human-caused 'global warming' is a highly debatable and scientifically unsettled issue? Ask the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, etc which just set the record for most snow fall in recorded history.
wild swings in weather is part of the climate change model
not that i want to have a political debate because it is against the rules
Yes, Google decided to make a political statement with their black screens, and they certainly did get people talking about the topic. I suppose raising awareness was the whole point. But there are other forums on the web for digging into the issues about climate change, whereas we're here to discusss Google itself.
