Earth "Hour of Power"

First of all, let me say this...

CONGRATS JIMMIE JOHNSON on your win today!!!

Ok, that's out of the way...(I know any liberal reading this is saying to themselves 'of course he's a nascar fan, how typical')

Anyways, last night, Tucson celebrated Earth Hour. Or at least I was told we were going to... Since I live out 2 miles past B.F.E., and I knew no one on my street would turn off their lights, since darkness just invites the tweekers to steal stuff... I went into town to document just how dark all the places that promised to observe Earth Hour would get.

First stop, Ward 2 offices... but I got there a little too early, so I decided to stop off at the 104.1 The Truth's broadcast office, right around the corner. As 8:30 rolled around, lights on the first floor dimmed - home to KGUN 9, the TV station housed in the same building. But true to their word, and proudly too, the lights blazed on upstairs:

8:25, time to head out to Rodney Glassman's Ward 2 Office.

What you don't see, because it doesn't show up well, is that inside, there are quite a few visible 'vampire' lights - these are systems, computers, etc. that continue to drain power while in sleep mode. Also, the main sign out front remained lit. Now, normally I would commend Rodney for keeping all these (except for security lighting) energy draining products on in sleep mode, to help counter the power-backup caused by everyone else going dark, but this is the office of someone who has always talked a good game, but never backed it up with action.

In this instance, I say, hat's off to you Rod, for not giving in to pressure and unplugging everything for the night before leaving... for once you agree with Jon, and joined in on the 'Hour of Power'!

So, I head down the street. I fully expect the City of Tucson, and Pima County Parks and Rec., to bow to the pressure of Earth Hour, yet, as I pass by Udall Park, on of the biggest recreation facilities in NE Tucson, this is what I see...

Thank-you, Pima County Parks and Rec, and City of Tucson for adding to Jon's 'Hour of Power'!!!

I drive past Ft. Lowell park, and see that City of Tucson felt that Udall wasn't enough:

They even light the statue!!!

On up the hill, next stop is Ventana Canyon, where the 'Director of Green Operations' had been interviewed by the local paper, all under the guise of increasing business at one of their lounges, where some "dark" theme was to take place. You would think, if you were in the paper, saying you would also get involved in Earth Hour, you would go dark, right? Well...

Some one there obviously listen's to 104.1, and decided to take part in the 'Hour of Power'.

So, lets see how Tucson does, during "Earth Hour":


And same spot, little over an hour later:


I had quite a fun night, first time ever out wasting my time doing something completely stupid, all for the sake of showcasing an equally stupid green movement publicity stunt. Wasted all that gas, all that time, and lots of bandwidth, which in turn is wasting electricity every time somebody opens this page...