Earth Hour

[LongHaul]

What you may personally think about Global Warming aside this can't hurt. We could probably have some fun discussing things to do for an hour in the dark.

[Gold Winger]

This strikes me like the other 'popular' activities of the environmentatlists. Pick up litter day. Don't drive day. Etc. It sounds good but doesn't accomplish much.

 

We're much better off looking for ways to reduce energy consumption. For example, that old fashinoned CRT TV of yours uses far more energy than a new LCD TV. So it behooves you to go buy a new TV :-)

 

Seriously, there are many ways undramatic ways to save energy. I've replaced nearly every light bulb in my house with the CFL bulbs, the curly fluorescent bulbs that replace regular bulbs. My electric bill has been cut nearly in half.

 

Plan trips to use less gas. Back in the 70s, when the first gas shortages happened, people planned ways to combine trips to use less gas. That went away.

 

Stop buying gas hogs. It amazes me that despite the current price of gas, people are still buying the big 4x4 trucks to assuage their egos. There are a few who actually need them for work but most are never going to take theirs into the mud and will never haul anything more than groceries.

 

 

 

[insanescouter]

I consider myself an environmentalist of sorts ... yet it surprises me how people buy something because its supposable good for the environment - which may be true they could pour that cleaner into a lake and hurt nothing ... but is the way that product produced worse for the mother nature ... a hybrid car may use less gas and put out less exhaust but what about the lead batteries, all the extra components that make it work - what is the trade off ... I am not saying in either of these examples that the trade off is good or bad .. they are just 2 examples I pulled from my head with no evidence - just take it as something to think about ...

 

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

[evmori]

I'm still not sold on this global warming stuff.

 

I do try to save energy but only for selfish reasons, expenses. The big energy suckers are the HVAC and large appliances in your home. The more efficient these are, the lower you utility bills. Plus, upgraded doors & windows help a lot.

 

Energy efficient lighting will top this off but by itself will not make a major impact on your electric bills. The best thing to do about lighting is ti remember to turn off the light & when you leave the room. The old theory that it takes more electricity to turn on a light than leave it on is a myth. Get sensors that turn lights on when you enter a room & turns them off when you leave. And be careful with fluorescent lighting. This type of lighting will interfere with audio signals in your home.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[GernBlansten]

As an environmentalist, I am delighted at the high energy costs we Americans are facing now. Nothing will get the selfish, narcissistic public to consider alternative energy than a hit to their own wallets. All of our foriegn policy problems can be tied to energy. Yet, instead of spending 500 Billion on domestic solutions, we use it prop up another nation sitting on a big pool of hydrocarbons.

 

America will not realistically explore renewable resources until the nonrenewable ones are exhausted or no longer cost efficient. Rise on oil prices. Rise on.

 

As for Earth Hour, every journey starts with a small step. I'm in.

[erickelly65]

ALL of our foreign policy problems? Perhaps many of them, even most of them..but not ALL of them.

 

Simple economic theory will drive consumption and innovation.

[John-in-KC]

This past winter, I was truly aggressive about setting back the thermostat when I was out of the house, or at night.

 

All the way down to 58F.

 

Like GW, CFL bulbs. I would like them to get a 150W equivalent though... my bedroom lamp for bedtime reading, and my reading corner in my living room...

[Gold Winger]

Ed,

 

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12280

 

 

[Gold Winger]

" I would like them to get a 150W equivalent though... my bedroom lamp for bedtime reading, and my reading corner in my living room..."

 

They have them at Home Depot. I bought one for my living room but it isn't really as bright as a 150 W inka-dinka-doo bulb. I also had to do some surgery on the harp to get the bulb to fit into the socket.

[skeptic]

As scouters, we are, or should be in the forefront of many of the environmental issues. Leave No Trace is certainly related to the environment, and many of the merit badges have direct connections, as does the Hornaday (though not just a scout award).

Even if you may not agree totally with some of the more current suppositions regarding "global warming", many of the related issues are absolutely on target, no matter who looks at it. Many of these things have been around ever since man started building fires, or maybe longer, but the population increases are making them serious problems, where at one time, nature probably was able to overcome some of it (though possibly we just could not see the effects as easily due to lack of knowledge or tools).

At EBOR's, a favorite question seems to relate to "thrifty", but in relation to other resources than monetary, especially the environment, specifically water and fuel. Using only what is needed, and not wasting; what a concept.

Meanwhile, out on the freeway, people still are driving their gas guzzlers at 80+ mph. Go figure.

 

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!

[Gold Winger]

"Meanwhile, out on the freeway, people still are driving their gas guzzlers at 80+ mph. Go figure."

 

My car gets 25 mpg on the highway at 80 mph and 25 mpg at 60 mph. Why take more time to get there?

[skeptic]

GW; Your car must be an exception. Numerous tests over many years have shown that speeds between 50 and 60 driven at a steady pace increase mileage by up to 3%. Of course the 80+ drivers also are weaving in and out and around on both sides, tailgating, and constantly riding brakes due to their excessive speed. That also contributes to poorer mileage.

 

 

[evmori]

GW,

 

Did ya ever watch Myth Busters? They did a show on exactly this & found if you are going to be out of a room for longer than 2 minutes, turn the lights off regardless of what kind. Leaving them on cost more than turning them on again.

 

And again, you big savings come from your cost efficient large appliances, not lighting.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Gold Winger]

"GW; Your car must be an exception."

 

Boy 3%! So if that's true, I'd get almost 26 mpg. Wow! What a savings. :-) So one of my weekend jaunts of 500 miles would only cost me $63 instead of $65. That's really worth spending another 3 hours sitting my car.

 

I believe that I get the mileage that I do despite my car's 5,000 lb weight is that at 80 mph, the trans is in OD and the torque converter is locked so I'm only turning 2,000 rpm.

 

Ed,

 

Mythbusters is interesting but as scientists they make really good SFX guys.

 

 

 

 

[skeptic]

GW: yep, 3% multiplied by tens of thousands saves not just money, but huge amounts of "oil" and reduces pollution too. And the annual savings of $50 will allow me to buy more scout memorabilia paper that I really do not need (according to you know who). Of course, since my car gets 29 in town and 32 on the hwy, I save a bit more. And, since gas will be even higher soon, that too will effect my ability to add to my collection.