The Competitive Enterprise Institute has announced their own plans for March 28th from 8:30 to 9:30 pm: instead of shutting of lights with millions of people across the globe for Earth Hour, they’ll be celebrating Human Achievement Hour.
CEI is a libertarian organization that advocates for human innovation. Interestingly, green innovation doesn’t ever seem to impress them, but they did recently throw a “Celebrate Coal!” rally. Anyway, the group seems to have struck a new low with their recently announced opposition to Earth Hour.
Earth Hour, of course, is a world-wide event promoted by the World Wildlife Fund among other conservation groups. This year they have succeeded in getting many cities, businesses, and citizens to agree to shut off the lights for one hour later this month.
But now, according to CEI’s press release, any business or organization who does not participate in Earth Hour will automatically be participating in Human Achievement Hour. While this makes planning their event ridiculously easy, it also makes it totally stupid.
Check out a bit of the release:
The new one-hour holiday, unknown prior to this press release, has already received overwhelming support from many of Washington, D.C.’s leading institutions. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, for example, tells CEI that it does not plan to shut down all of the city’s bus and rail lines for the “Earth Hour.” The Kennedy Center, likewise, has scheduled a performance of the long-running play Sheer Madness, a jazz concert, and a dance performance to coincide with the Human Achievement Hour. Washington, D.C.’s Target store, furthermore, will remain open until 10:00pm on the evening of the 28th. The Smithsonian Institution also plans a film showing that will extend into Human Achievement Hour.
And it continues as such, listing off people and places who will have their lights on for one reason or another on March 28th from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. They’re coopting anyone who doesn’t participate in Earth Hour to instead be partake in their loony hour.
While the climate change deniers are out in full force against Earth Hour (look! they turned the logo upside down!), I’m somewhat surprised to see CEI vocally opposing it. I thought they were opposed to government regulation on business — why are they bothering to oppose a community-driven campaign that businesses only willingly opt in to?
I will turn on every freakin’ light in my 6,000 square foot house for that hour….just like last year…just to counter the freaking, brain-dead “delusionists.” Glad it ticked you off enough to write a barely literate article. Next time try a non-electric typewriter on hand made parchment. Love it. Good stuff. Glad there’s finally some opposition to the fringe loons.
Well, isn’t it a good thing that they are being good little libertarians by thinking outside the box and being iconoclastic? While all the sheeple of the world listen to “scientists” (remember, some Nazis were scientists)talk about global warming (like, how is buring millions of tons of coal a year supposed to warm the earth? it does’nt make sense to me.) they will be bravely going against the status quo by not doing anything remotely productive. This is pretty much the libertarian party in a nutshell right here.
(Tomorrow’s headlines…today…)
KENSINGTON’S EARTH HOUR ENDS IN TRAGEDY
Earth Hour was observed last night throughout Maryland when residents turned their house lights off for one hour to “vote for the Earth” by saving electricity. But events took a tragic turn in Kensington when residents there went one step further and turned their car lights off as well.
Described by officials as the largest series of multiple vehicle accidents in Maryland history, collisions involving as many as five cars at a time were reported at intersections throughout the city. There were also a number of collisions with houses, caused when vehicles ran off the road into nearby homes. At last report there were several injuries, none of them critical, but no fatalities.
Kensington’s volunteer fire department has received assistance from other fire departments in the area to control the numerous fires caused by the accidents. Fire Chief Ned Spaekely reported this morning that he expected all the fires would be extinguished or under control by the evening. He indicated that his department would be applying for federal funding to repair or replace the four firetrucks that were damaged by collisions with fervent Earth Hour celebrants.
Damage to homes and businesses in the city was extensive, with Kensington’s “Antique Row” taking the brunt of the night’s destruction. “It’s a total loss,” said mayor Pete Fosselman, whose own home in town was almost totally destroyed by an off road collision with a Chevy Suburban.
“I think that next year, we’ll just stick with the street banners,” he said.
It’s “Earth Hour” every hour in North Korea.
Think about it, people.
They sound lamer than WWF and “Earth Hour”
If the issue wasn’t so important, and urgent action imperative, both would be laughable.
Wait a second… you guys come up with something called “Earth Hour”, and you’re accusing other of being lame? You, the people that want to do things like restrict toilet paper use (Hello, One-Sheet-Sheryl!), and you’re accusing other people of being lame?
It’s no more lame than your “shut the lights off for an hour” thingy, so try and relax…
Awesome article, Alex! I gotta say, there’s something about the line “The new one-hour holiday, unknown prior to this press release, has already received overwhelming support” that I just love. Does one even need to point out to these people how absurd having incidental “prior support” for a previously unknown holiday is? Why can’t these people just let it go!?