Much Global Ado . . .
The Snakeoil salesmen are having a field day again! From Suva in Fiji to San Francisco, in the US of A; last time it was ban the plastic shopping bag!
Perhaps the only sensible words uttered by anyone came from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who said “It is not just about turning off the lights, it is about raising awareness.”
Unfortunately, his wisdom was soon marred into dark humor as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge lights were switched off.
Did anyone also switch off their TV sets, freezers, fridges, cookers, electric kettles, computers, air-conditioners, immersion heaters …? Did a single power station reduce their base load?
Would it make any difference even if everyone were to switch off their entire lighting system for an hour everyday? How about 2 hours? Or perhaps 4, better still, 8 hours? May be 16? What if everyone switched off their lights 24/365? How much difference do you think such move would make? Care to hazard a guess?
Organizers of Earth Hour conceded that switching off the lights for one hour would have little impact on carbon emissions; however, they insisted that the participation of so many individuals and business proved there was concern about climate change throughout the world. What they didn’t tell you is the root cause of the problem, the exponential growth economy, and how to switch that off.
Unless the existing system of economy is replaced with a radical, eco-centered, zero-growth economy, every effort to conserve energy, reduce carbon emissions, or stop the collapsing ecosystems is a cosmetic gesture and a waste of time, effort and resources!
Fire Earth 