I’m Bill Kingston with today’s commentary. It’s taken almost 10 years but it looks like the lights are coming on about how ridiculous Earth Hour is. For one hour on a Saturday night (probably the only time people with busy lives could probably let loose an enjoy their time) they are supposed to sit in the dark and think about what they are doing to the planet. This year, the campaign had a luke-warm response in Cornwall, it tanked in B.C., Toronto had its worst year ever since 2007 and Calgarians actually turned on more lights and appliances. If you want to celebrate like you’re in North Korea, go right ahead. But I think we should end this silly nonsense and actually celebrate the fact we have electricity and are able to use it. Turning off the lights just adds to the glut of power that we have and we end up turning around and selling it to other states and provinces (at least outside Cornwall). There are countries, many in Sub-Saharan Africa, where people are dying because they don’t have electricity or running water. Maybe Earth Hour should re-brand its focus to efforts on infrastructure for electricity in developing countries instead of shaming and punishing those that have electricity and are not living in the stone age anymore.
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