Environment
Earth Hour Toronto 2008: Pass or Fail?
So how was your Earth Hour? Did you take part? What are your impressions on how well or poorly Toronto performed?
Ontario as a whole appears to have seen a bit of a downward blip (see above plot - source) and according to the Star Toronto observed an 8.7% dip on it's energy curve.
Continue reading to view several selected photos from the blogTO Flickr pool and videos from the blogTO YouTube group taken all around the city, and feel free to share your opinions on how our city fared by commenting.
Scarborough (McCowan and 401) during/after comparison by Scorchez:
A scan of a quiet residential street in East York by jasperibe:
The downtown core (including Dundas Square) by 3461167:
View of the skyline from Polson St by ~EvidencE~:
Aerial view by News46:
Downtown bank towers by luxography:
Eaton Centre by wyliepoon:
Honest Ed's by Easternblot:
Candlelight by Rockers generation:
Discussion
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I know it's a step in the right direction, but really looking through all the photos and videos here and elsewhere, this is probably something that could be pulled off *every* night if a little more thought was put into conservation. (Do we REALLY need the top of that condo building lit up like a matchstick?
To see how easy it actually is to reduce power consumption, and how many ridiculous uses of light that we have.
It's a start, that's all. Certainly a lot more effective than the Earth Aid concerts or whatever they were called.
The old excuse that the lights provide some of the heat in office buildings, would no longer be an excuse, since LED produce no heat as a by-product.
We need smart meters and timed pricing - and soon. The Ontario Government should deliver a power meter (the kind you plug your computer or tv or fridge into to show how much it uses) to every home so people can see the consequences of not plugging out your phone charger when you're done. Hit the pocket book, you get change.
When people are using night time hydro and nuke power by putting timers on their dishwashers, dryers, washing machines that will put real dents in peak load which comes from coal and gas and direct usage to low-GHG power sources.
At the same time we have to remember that with the upcoming Transit City streetcar lines, expanded subway service to 7-car trains on the Yonge line and electric GO Trains on the Lakeshore line, there are some increased electricity usages that are a good thing.
Not certain. It looks like it may be Simcoe Place though, based on it's position behind Roy Thompson Hall. Here's a <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2372108279_41ddff2811_b.jpg";>larger image</a>.
Nathan Phillips seemed dumb... a huge glowing amplified Earth Hour "Unplugged" concert? Although I remember seeing the Bullfrog logo around, so was that powered by renewables?
I went inside the Eaton Centre and some of that was just embarassing. The fully illuminated and deserted info desk sporting glowing Earth Hour ads, surrounded by stores that were empty and locked yet still had every single light burning.
Never, ever, ever flicking their light switches to off is actually one of the stupidest wastes businesses seem to regularly engage in. In the middle of the night, many businesses (especially mattress stores for some reason) are still glowing brighter than environmentally conscious businesses even do when they're open. I really think it's time we have legislation against that kind of stupidity, because no one seems to be interested in correcting their behaviour themselves.
I've walked along streets where the shop is clearly locked up and not a soul is in sight, but the lights are still on and even the neon OPEN sign is still on! Ridiculous!
Congrats to those to took part and shame on the businesses that simply didn't appear to care!
In a matter of one year, Earth Hour has managed to become a global movement. This is a definite step in the right direction in our efforts to reduce climate change.
Creating awareness is half the battle, and hopefully the one hour of darkness on March 29th 2008 will result in everyone using less energy on a day to day basis.
On the IESO graph, I see a dip that spans the 18:00-21:00h range. Looks like people started early :)
And come Monday morning everyone piles into their SUV for the commute to work where they will cheer over how ?successful? the event was.
This type of spectacle requires no effort whatsoever and shows our commitment to nothing more than flipping a switch. Why not get more people to permanently leave their behemoths at home and take transit or car pool? Then we might start saving.
It is the RBC Centre under construction on Simcoe... it was quite strange that the most vacant building downtown was also the brightest that night......
If you let the govt or authority figures decide "what's legit" and "what's not" we'll have situations like airline fuel not being taxed, and people flying like it's their human right ('Oh won't someone think of the economy'... and the endless airline bailouts. Perhaps airflight _ISNT_ sustainable?) . Lobbying and corruption will rampant (more than it already is).
Furthermore, in terms of CO2/GHG emissions, ontario's power generation is >75% non CO2 emitting (source: <a href="http://theimo.com";>http://theimo.com<;/a> - not that nukes are great, but different issue.) Everyone lighting 2-3 candles (which are 40-75W ish each of CO2-producing energy) after turning off their 15W CFL bulbs, probably had a net increase of about 5-10x the CO2 for lighting purposes during the hour (assuming people sat in 1/10tht the brightness with candles). The irony hurts.
(I sat in the dark and talked with my wife after flipping the master breaker on the whole apartment, with some windup flashlights handy. Yes I know they emit CO2 in their mfr.)
Electricity in Ontario is first met with the "base" of hydro and nuclear and that marginal energy demand is met with CO2 sources such as coal.
Look at the demand during Earth Hour in the graph at the top- about 16500 MW. Now if you go to IESO's site, as of right now, we have:
8900 MW Nuclear
4700 MW Hydro
Which is only 13600 MW. By turning off the lights you are primarily reducing demand from coal, which makes up the next 4000 MW in the mix.
<a href="http://www.ieso.ca/imoweb/siteShared/demand_price.asp?sid=ic";>Really</a>?
http://www.sygration.com/gendata/Generator%20Report%202008-03-29.html
So between that and the demand graph, I am wondering what they are comparing it to in order to get a 5.2% drop across Ontario. That's all. Just looking for more information.
Anyway, I can tell you're just getting all mad about it, so I will move my Ontario energy thoughts to blogON.
Yes, the plot shows demand rising into the evening (as it gets dark, colder, we use more energy). If Earth Hour didn't happen, the plot of actual demand would have seen a higher curve during the period spanning Earth Hour. If one were to superimpose the expected or normal demand on top of that graph, you'd see a 5% difference due to Earth Hour efforts.
<a href="http://earthhourblog.blogspot.com/";>http://earthhourblog.blogspot.com/<;/a>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080413.wcomment0413/BNStory/specialComment/home
SHUT THE HELL UP!
If you don't want to help out, that's fine. But don't go whining about it on here then. This was not meant to lower consumption. Its purpose was to raise awareness about the whole problem that we currently have on our hands. So if you wanna whine, can it. We don't want to hear it.
In conclusion,
FUCK OFF
That post was meant for "this is dumb".