Turn it off!

In honor of last weekend's "Earth Hour" comes today's post about turning out the lights. A lot of us are constantly confused about when you should turn lights off or leave them on when you're leaving a room for a few seconds or even a few minutes. Here's an answer!

Reader's Digest says, "You save energy with the lights off, even for a few seconds. ...And don't worry, turning on a lightbulb doesn't burn a lot of energy. The Department of Energy's office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy says that the amount of electricity needed to turn on a bulb equals a few seconds of its burning brightly."

So, flip those lights off while you're brushing your teeth, when you run to the other room to grab a book, and any other time you won't be using the light for even a few seconds!

Earth Hour

Tonight is "Earth Hour," an annual international gesture for environmental sustainability. From 8:30 pm-9:30 pm, everyone turns off all their lights, televisions, computers, etc. Just for an hour.

What can you do during "Earth Hour"? Light a soy candle and have a romantic dessert. Play the guitar. Tell ghost stories. Play word games. Sing a song. Meditate. Philosophize. Discuss your greatest hopes and dreams. If others in your area participate, it might be a great night to star gaze. Get together with some friends and enjoy the novelty of it all. Hold a seance? Well, use your discretion.

It's a small gesture, yes, and taking more care with your electricity use on a daily basis certainly does a lot more good. But it's a great international movement to be a part of, and the collective impact has the potential to make a bit of a difference. Besides, it can't hurt!

For more information: http://www.earthhour.org/home/