Shut off the lights for the environment

Let's sit back and watch the town get dark.

Joining communities around the world, the Town of Windsor is taking part in Earth Hour 2008 this Saturday evening, March 29, and shutting off the lights.

Though many Valley residents have had enough of lights going out because of unplanned power outages, even in good weather, this is different – it’s voluntary and it’s to make a point about energy conservation and climate change.

Earth Hour is a global effort of the World Wildlife Fund.

Mayor Anna Allen knows that Windsor is a smaller community in the global scheme of things, but for town staff and residents to simply turn out the lights between 8 and 9 p.m. Saturday evening is a great beginning. And it’s befitting Windsor, “little town, big firsts.”

Her Worship’s point is to do more than just talk about environmental concerns. It’s to take some initiative, however, small at first.

As well, to help quantify the effort, Nova Scotia Power has been asked to calculate the energy saving for the town during the hour.

And the trend is spreading. In the Maritimes, Halifax, Fredericton and Charlottetown will participate along side smaller units such as Windsor and Mahone Bay.

Nationally, even the country's largest city, Toronto, is going to shut off the lights for an hour.

All of this will be done safely, however, with essential lighting being retained.

Last year in Sydney, Australia, 2.2 million people took part, reducing the city's energy consumption by 10.2 per cent –reportedly the same impact as taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year.

Some say that the current global warming isn't due to human activities, as if that in an excuse.

Whatever the opinion, greenhouse gas emissions still contribute to whatever else is claimed as the major cause. The issue is real. And so is the contribution of fossil fuel use to it.

Another persistent and uncontested truth is that the costs of fossil fuel are going to continue to increase. Once the $100 a barrel point was reached in oil prices, nothing is impossible anymore in spiraling costs.

And, we have to remember that most of our electrical power is generated with coal and oil, with a small amount of hydro power, and even less from newer sources.

And, despite the tidal power, and wind and solar sources now being seriously developed, the pay-offs of these are some time in the future.

As Windsor is showing, it's everybody's concern and there is something everybody can do -- starting with shutting off the lights.

As well, power company officials have noted that power consumption peaks aren't profitable for them. In fact, the extra effort costs more than any additional revenues.

And we have to know that there is no effort too small to help reducing negative impacts on the environment -- and our costs of living.