Five minutes of respite for the planet

[TheMagicPirate]

Just got this email from a girl at uni

Hi everyone,

On February 1st (tomorrow), there is a worldwide effort to turn off all power consuming appliances (lights, computers, etc.), even those on "standby mode" for 5 minutes to make a statement about climate change and environmental issues, and to show politicians worldwide that these are issues we care about. This has been organised by L'Alliance pour la planète, en France (site: http://www.lalliance.fr/). It's not meant to save 5 minutes of electricity (which would barely put a dent in levels of consumption anyway), but it's to raise awareness.

In Paris, they're even turning off the lights on the Eiffel Tower (Link to CNN article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/01/31/climate.eiffel.reut/index.html).

In the UK, we can join with France at 6:55 pm our time, until 7pm. It's only 5 minutes, it doesn't take much effort, it's free, and it can make a big statement, especially if the demand on the grid is reduced dramatically. Just put an alarm on your cell phone to remind yourself.

I know a lot of people on here are quite eco friendly.

Would be interesting to see how much the demand on the national grid drops tomorow.

 

[Rosbif]

We've got extortionate petrol prices, taxes on airtravel, carbon taxes etc etc .. what more do they want the government to do?

 

[AthlonTom]

We've got extortionate petrol prices, taxes on airtravel, carbon taxes etc etc .. what more do they want the government to do?

I want em to hae shofer driven diesel nissan micra's - rather than v8 jags!

 

[Psyk]

And what the hell am I supposed to do in those 5 minutes? Read a book?!

 

[Jonny ///M]

Im foreseeing EVERYBODY turning back on at the same time and something not going to plan?

 

[divine`]

Would be interesting to see how much the demand on the national grid drops tomorow.

Not by much I don't reckon.

It's only for 5 minutes an I doubt much more than 10% of the population will bother, if that.

I might go round and turn on as much stuff as I can at 6:55

 

[clv101]

We've got extortionate petrol prices, taxes on airtravel, carbon taxes etc etc .. what more do they want the government to do?

And yet still we consume too much...

 

[joeyjojo]

Im foreseeing EVERYBODY turning back on at the same time and something not going to plan?

Genius

Sudden electricity spike

I'll be doing this. Good message.

Edit: CNN link broken, got a bracket in it.

 

[AthlonTom]

And what the hell am I supposed to do in those 5 minutes? Read a book?!

Make it an E-Book!

 

[PardonTheWait]

It'd take more than five minutes to turn all the electrics in my house off. By the time I'd finished, I'd have to go back to the start and start switching them on again

That's quite bad actually.

 

[AthlonTom]

It'd take more than five minutes to turn all the electrics in my house off. By the time I'd finished, I'd have to go back to the start and start switching them on again

That's quite bad actually.

Just goto the fuse box - much quicker, thats what we did when me and my mates spent some time in a skag house and had to make the place look abandoned at certain points each week

 

[Fuzz]

And what the hell am I supposed to do in those 5 minutes? Read a book?!

It'll be dark at 6.55pm.... Can't use the lights

 

[Siliconslave]

It'd take more than five minutes to turn all the electrics in my house off. By the time I'd finished, I'd have to go back to the start and start switching them on again

That's quite bad actually.

thats what you have a master switch on your fuse box for

edit: damn it - hit f5 befor posting when a tabs been open for ages

 

[ElvisFan]

Well we've done our bit already......

Damn boiler's packed in

 

[DB_SamX]

shofer

ANd I thought I had seen them all. Chauffeur.

I hope no one suddenly enters people's rooms as the they are sitting down in the dark...the former are going to think they are freaks.

 

[Mr_White]

No thanks, I run expensive fish tanks, I'm not turning anything off on them.

 

[Azagoth]

"Make a statement about climate change and environmental issues"?

Ok, here's my statement. I don't give a flying proverbial about it!

 

[Nix]

Wont it use up more electricity when people begin to run their electrical appliances again?

 

[doofer]

So glad I'm not on life-support... go, go tree-hugging hippies!!

 

[Ex-RoNiN]

We've got extortionate petrol prices, taxes on airtravel, carbon taxes etc etc .. what more do they want the government to do?

Actually use the money to do something about it, rather than make it fill holes in the budget/line their pockets with it?