Earth Day? Too long! Try Earth Hour

By Susan Thurston, Times staff writer
In print: Friday, March 28, 2008

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What would you do without electricity for an hour? Talk? Nap? Cry?

Many people will find out Saturday during Earth Hour 2008, a worldwide campaign to increase awareness of global warming. Between 8 and 9 p.m., people and businesses are asked to turn off their lights in support of efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

Earth Hour began last year in Australia, where 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses in Sydney went dark for the hour. If sustained for a year, officials estimated it would be the equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

The idea was so well-received it expanded this year to major cities, from San Francisco to Tel Aviv. Locally, the effort is gaining attention among eco-minded people and businesses.

Lanis Loveday Chidel, an interior designer who practices feng shui, plans to limit her driving on Saturday and take advantage of all the free energy — the sun. During the actual hour, she'll pull the plug on her son's video games and open the doors to let in the fresh air.

"Maybe we'll just sit around and light a candle and talk,'' said the mother of five, who lives in Carrollwood. "Back in the day when you didn't have TV or even radio, that's what you did.''

While quantifying results of Earth Hour will be difficult, organizers hope the campaign changes habits by showing how easy it is to reduce energy consumption.

Dustin Rowley says his electricity bill went down about $50 a month since he put most of his appliances and stereo equipment on timers to go off at night. He uses ceiling fans and a plug-in radiator to keep his home comfortable and rides his bike to work, 4 miles each way.

Rowley, who owns Creative Bureau advertising in Ybor City, contacted the city of Tampa about getting involved in Earth Hour but never heard back. (Some cities are reluctant to turn off lights because of liability issues.) Still, Rowley hopes word of mouth will raise awareness nationwide.

Taking part is a no-brainer to people like Ken Shapiro, owner of Triple Nickel Realty in St. Petersburg, which specializes in eco-friendly homes. During his lights-out hour, he'll sit home and meditate or head to the beach. His biodiesel Mercedes runs on a blend of vegetable oil.

"You've got to start somewhere,'' he said. "I love the way it ties the planet together. You can either choose to buy into it or not.''