What To Do In The Dark

So did you participate in Earth Hour this past Saturday? We did. Actually it was not difficult and it was not out of our way. What made it easier was that our 3 little kiddies were all tugged into bed by 8pm, though it would have been fun if they were able to stay up.

I went about shutting off all the house lights, except for the kids’ night lights in their rooms. However, I didn’t go as far as unplugging our appliances or TV/VCR. I pulled out our solar-&-crank powered flashlights. I left one by the door for my hubby when he got off of work at 8:30 and I took one with me. I decided to do some writing in bed (something in preparation for Father’s Day). It was amazingly calm in the dark and I was able to think so clearly. When my hubby came home we spent the rest of the time catching up with each other and doing our devotions — it was kind of romantic.

While across the world, I was amazed that even major landmarks went dark: the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, Sidney Opera House in Australia. You can check out the flickr photos and YouTube videos from the Earth Hour website. I know there’s lots of skepticism out there about how 1 hour can make really any difference at all, but I think it still makes a stand no matter how minuscule it seems.

Closer to home, electricity consumption dropped by 1.1% overall in our province that Saturday evening; with the highest drop in Pemberton at 4.5%. If you’re interested how your community stacked up, check out BC Hydro’s site.

Back at the home front, since March 28th I’m trying to be even more conscientious about my use of unnecessary electricity. Do I really need to turn on all the lights while doing dishes or brushing my teeth? I should really think about what I need to get out of the fridge before I open the fridge door. How about remembering to open up the blinds and curtains in the morning to allow all that natural light in?

So what did you do last Saturday evening?  Share with us how you spent the hour?

≡mar