Earth Hour – Will Lights Go Out in Austin?

Skyline in Austin

In around 12 hours, it will be Earth Hour here in Austin, TX. The premis of the event is that your light switch is your vote, and that by turning out the lights in your home for one hour, you will have shown that you are thinking about energy usage.

Between 8:30pm and 9:30pm local time, people will be sitting in the dark as a way to show they care. The event is organized by the World Wildlife Fund and is a vehicle for people to show that they vote Earth.

This is all well and good and a way to raise awareness of the concerns of global warming. While the lights may go out on the Pyramids of Giza, I don’t see much support in the blogosphere in Austin – or signs that our skyline will dim.

One comment on a Statesman article says that voting Earth isn’t about switching off the lights for an hour, but making changes in habits that last all year around. I tend to agree – I’m feeling pretty excited that I signed a contract with Jim at Celestial Power on Monday to put solar panels on the roof of my home at Mueller, and not so excited about sitting in the dark.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker® with Keller Williams Realty.

Specializing in: Green Austin Real Estate and New Green Homes in Austin.

(512) 694 8873