Earth Hour

As you people all know, Earth Hour is coming up at 8:30 tonight and we here at Andrew's Blog (OK!OK! So i twisted the truth a tiny bit... It's only me here! :D) recommend you to turn all eletronic devices off for 1 hour to show your commitment to helping global warming. Actually, forget about that. We here at Andrew's Blog is forcing you to commit in Earth Hour! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Reader: Uhh.... OK..... Yeah, how does that work?

Andrew's Blog technician: Ummm...Yeah.... We're still working on that...If we can't think of anything, we're just gonna shut down the blog for that 1 hour! How's that?

Anyways... Where was I? Oh yeah, Earth Hour! Here's what we want the world to about Earth Hour:

1. We can solve 3/4 of climate change by changing the energy we use.
   First step is cutting down our use. Do those lights really have to be on? Can the computers be turned off at night? Think before you switch on.
2. 10 million Canadians care about leadership on climate change.
   Every person who participates in Earth Hour is sending a clear and inspiring message to our leaders to take further action needed to help our planet.
3. We're in the hot seat this summer - and it's not on the beach!
   Canada is hosting the G8 and G20 Summits in Huntsville and Toronto in June, and climate change is on the agenda. Let's show the world what we are capable of.
4. Wildlife's best hope is avoiding 2 degrees Celsius.
   Global warming is already threatening our coral reefs, the base of ocean life. If we can limit the warming, we can stop 1/3 of species from risking extinction.

Now, here are some info about global warming:

1. Because of climate change, the loss of Arctic sea ice is destroying the habitats of polar bears and walruses, threatening their survival.
2. Because of climate change, in the Caribbean, warmer temperatures are skewing gender ratios of sea turtles, undermining the stability of the species.
3. While balmier climates may actually boost tourism in Canada, other key sectors of the economy - including fisheries, agriculture, forestry and oil and gas - won't be as fortunate.
4. Most of us will experience climate change in the form of extreme weather: floods, droughts, heat waves and stronger storms and hurricanes.
5. Globally, climate change is causing glacial melt, sea level rise, loss of Arctic sea ice, increased insect infestation, wider spread of diseases and extreme weather events.
6. Most greenhouse gases are caused by the burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation and transportation.
7. Deforestation is another major driver of climate change, responsible for more carbon pollution than the entire global transportation sector.
8. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of carbon pollution produced.
9. Simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint include: walk more, use public transportation, only buy what you need and recycle.

Finally, here is some tips to live green:

1. Drive Less. Instead of taking the car, why not walk, bike or take transit. Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
   
2. Buy local and sustainable food. The average food product travels about 2,000 kilometres before it reaches your table. Along the way it burns up energy - creating greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change - as it's packaged, shipped and stored. WWF-Canada has created Sustainable Food Buying Guides for regions across the country to help Canadians shop sustainably. The guides are free and available at http://wwf.ca/foodguide.
   
3. Recycle, reduce and reuse. Recycling saves a lot of energy needed to extract, process, transport and make new materials and products. Recycle 100% of your glass, aluminium, plastic, and paper and compost your organic waste.
   
4. Stay grounded. Airplanes are one of the biggest culprits for pumping carbon emissions high into the atmosphere. If you must fly, then purchase carbon offsets to reduce the impact of your flight. WWF recommends gold standard carbon offsets, such as Climate Friendly (https://climatefriendly.com/).
   
5. Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are always full before you run them as this will save energy and money.
   
6. Weather-proofing your home is a great way to save energy. Caulk your doors and windows, add insulation or add shades to use in the summer!
   
7. Leaving your computer for a while? Put it on stand-by and it will take less energy than shutting down and restarting.
   
8. Fix leaking faucets. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money, so repair them as soon as possible.
   
9. Unplug appliances and phone chargers when they aren't in use. If they're plugged in, they're drawing energy and costing you money.

OK, now you can see how we might be able to break the record for most energy saved in an hour! Also, considering the fact that only 18% of all canadians would give themselves an A when it comes to conserving energy, we might actually prove to the world that we can be very eco-friendly and show them what Canadians are made of!

Here are 2 videos, 1 is the official promotional video of Earth Hour 2010 and the other one which is more specific towards Canada with a great background music by Coldplay (Oscar, don't get over-excited!)

OK, that's it for this post! And considering how my techinician failed at thinking of a way to force you to turn off your computer during Earth hour, we're just going to shut down our blog for the Earth Hour! Thanks for Reading!