October 20: Nightlight

An idea that charmed me: Los Angeles is going to have an ‘outage.’ --People all over LA county: encouraged to Turn Off the lights --for one hour, October 20, 2007, 8 PM to 9 PM. It is an idea borrowed from Australia, grabbed by San Francisco --adopted by Los Angeles.

Intention: By going dark for an hour, residents will have visual impact of 'no artificial light.’ Organizers hope that encourages all to: acquire compact fluorescent light bulbs; Think/Use less electricity; stop wasting. Turn off what not using --reduce --temporarily, emissions thrown into the atmosphere. --Saw the story over the week-end. Well done. I liked it.

That is how it started, with me. Then as I checked back, each time: more comments added to the TIMES story. Holy Cow! Some people went Bonkers over the idea. Some: livid. Some see the activity as "indoctrination" --by big government --to control people. Whew. Some posted: 'don't believe humans Are having an effect on climate' --isn't scientific consensus' –they resent getting marginalized, for not 'going along' --whole idea is "Marxist." lol....

One of the most interesting comments: 'the electricity has already been produced; along with carbon; not using will have NO effect on the planet.'

--If I think this is a good idea --why say the flip side? --Why post the negatives?

Few reasons: raised by a parent in each political party; one undisciplined, freewheeling, didn't think ahead; one conservative, rigid, looked at next moves while focused on current. = I’m cursed with seeing Both sides --of every thing.... Second: some comments, by the less-rabid, were fascinating; made good points.

Third one of The Most riveting programs I've ever seen: "Dimming of the Sun" on PBS. Saw it twice (re-run recently), you can also, on PBS website. It shows the progression of a few scientists, different parts of the world, who didn't know each other, each discovering something they had never seen, didn't exist in science; unexplainable --at first. Bottom line: it makes the petty bureaucrats of Beverly Hills and Calabasas: LOOK as Stupid as they ARE --"enacting" laws on tobacco use --when THEY cannot Enforce a contract on the Atmosphere, --they don't OWN it --tobacco, lack of: only feeds the neurotic. The True thing to change/ deal with / matters: contrails --of airplanes. --Something humans CAN do to alter the changes in the atmosphere.

Does the activity of Mankind --pollution we create --affect the Planet? I say: Yes.

Does Pollution --affect the Climate? I have changed my mind about that --I am not Certain. I do know: dumping toxins on land --into waterways, oceans --kills. Why wouldn't it be true of throwing toxins into the atmosphere?

Either way: CAN it hurt --to turn Off the lights --for an hour? October 20, 2007...should make Silver Lake daVine.... E-mail this to family, friends, your list. --If enough neighbors turn out their lights, then go outside and have a peek --we SHOULD be able to see: stars! Not the neurotic kind, either! The way semi-arid Los Angeles used to be --nightlights all over the 'umbrella,' Way kewl.

I encourage you to read the LA TIMES story, quickly --click on the now-few hundred comments (--only a few pages when I first read it.) --TIMES has a nasty habit of "Archiving" stories --fast, and prevent reading, so read now, it will probably be gone later.

LA TIMES story: lightsoutLA

CA org website here

On the other link: you can sign up, participate, receive future notices, by the people who came together to make this happen.

There is going to be a US "Lights Out" in March, next year. Now if we could just get all the business people in those downtown towers to participate --all year, that would save a LOT of electricity. I have never understood WHY all those lights are left on, every office, every floor, all night long.

"Lights Out" October 20, 8 PM Bookmark it! Silver Lake daVine
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tag: Lights out LA county October 20 2007, stars, Beverly Hills Calabasas stupidity