The Hour Of Less Power

Earth Hour is nearly upon us, with the WWF encouraging us all to switch our lights off for an hour.

Some suggestions for what to do in Earth Hour have included: "games, candlelit dinners, chatting with friends around a fire, a walk in the park". I may be missing the point here but 8.30 GMT tomorrow is gonna still be pretty dark, and you're not gonna catch me walking round the park at that point. Sure, the moon's gonna be pretty bright, if there's no cloud, but what you going to do if you're attacked by a badger?

There's been a certain amount of sound and noise signifying very little about it, particularly Damian Thompson's suggestion we all switch "on" extra electrical devices. I'm not sure I'm that keen on the suggestion. After all, why would I go out of my way to spend extra money just to upset the WWF? That's like going out and buying a special pair of gloves just to slap a Quaker. And we all know unsatisfying "that "is.

So come Earth Hour, all the electric lights will be switched off in the Great House while the Beaker Folk sit in darkness. Though to be honest that's pretty well the case all the time. In order to save money, only essential lighting is ever switched on - and generally that means the electric in my study and private suite, where clearly I may have essential work.

But this all leaves me with a thought. If we - and by "we" I mean all the other Beaker Folk - can do without electric light every night of the year - why can't you? Instead of scattering your family around 4 different rooms of the house, there each in your atomized way to do your own thing - gather them all together, before Mr Harry Hill's smiling face - or whatever is on, or around your favourite board game, or equip everyone with a banjolele - and enjoy one another's company. Turn off all the lights you don't need. Don't run your car for half an hour before you drive it. Turn your computer off when you're no longer using it - and the wi-fi! Don't forget the wi-fi! And whatever you may or may not achieve in environmental terms, you'll certainly be richer. And then you can afford that nice pair of sequinned gloves you've been after*.

* Slapping a Quaker may or may not be satisfying. But it is certainly illegal and we recommend strongly against it. I chose the Quakers for this illustration because they're very nice, pacifist people and almost certainly won't slap me back. But it's still wrong.

Credit: masonsofheaven.blogspot.com