74 cities to go dark for Earth Hour '09

The link to the list of cities doesn't work.

try www.earthhour.org/mediacentre for a few list of cities

There is no reason all cities should not participate. Times Square is a joke and an abomination. Try seeing a star or even bright Venus from there and you will see what I mean. Alpine, Texas is a "Dark Town" with no upward light pollution. It saves energy and allows people to enjoy the night skies. There are many other towns and cities joining the Dark Sky movement. Why not the liberal East Coast cities?

Going dark - It reminds me of my late father - he died almost 10 years ago at the age of 90 - every time he left a room he would shut the light(s) off. Often times it was somewhat comical as someone else would immediately re-enter the same room and turn the light on! But, I still do the same today. He knew nothing of "global warming" or conservation efforts - he was more interested in saving a buck or two, but he certainly had an impact. I say Boston, along with all other communities in Massachusetts should join in this awareness effort - as the old saying goes - you don't miss something until it is gone - well, wake up people, our resources will soon be gone if we don't do our part....

Will Las Vegas participate?

#5. Yes, Las Vegas is among the cities on the list for Earth Day 2009. (Now the before-and-after-photos there should be striking!)

Positive steps in the right direction!

Even downward lighting gets reflected upward. Every other street light permanently shut down would be a start, albeit a mediocre one. The lighting in our cities is asinine.

Let''s recognize also that liberals are the ones responsible for this. Most liberals are also limousine ones.

HD, how soon do you predict "...our resources will soon be gone..."?

Just a ball-park figure will do for now.

Thanks in advance.

I turned on everything in my house last year in honor of the Hippies. I plan on doing it again.

I'll say it again: liberals are responsible for the whining that every square inch of a city be lit up. God forbid that a square inch of pavement or alley or parkland be dark.

OK everyone, let's all do this so that we can feel good about ourselves!

I will leave my computer on for the rest of the year out of protest of this ridiculous event.
You protest global warming, I will protest your protests.

I always wonder when driving through big cities at night, why we need to keep all of the office lights on. I'm mean, can't we just put a few outside one's on and save energy.

Are we that inept?

I wrote the mayor on this last year. I no longer live in Boston. I live in a less forward-thinking city than Boston - if you could believe one existed -, Ottawa. Even here in Ottawa, we signed on to it last year.

Yes, it's a largely symbolic gesture that, in the end, doesn't do much to prevent global warming. But for a city like Boston that prides itself on its socially progressive nature, why isn't Boston partaking in Earth Hour, now in its third year? Also, didn't the Mayor say he wanted all lights in office towers to be shut off where possible every night? Why isn't he jumping at this?

While I certainly enjoy reading articles on global warming/climate change, the comments following these types of editorials are far more fascinating.

Its painfully easy to separate those who have fear and those who have hope. Bravo.

who cares....

Absolutely Yes! I was in Sydney last year for Earth Hour and the place was abuzz. Excellent way to raise awareness for the environment.

Those "striking" pictures were mostly striking for how it was really only a few decorative lights that were turned off in most of the pictures. With the majority of office tower lights still on. And then fireworks at the end of the hour? Probably contributed more to Global Warming than any real effect from turning off a few lights. Come on, symbolism is fine and talking with business owners to try and reduce electricity uses during off hours is a good thing. Publicity stunts that take the place of practicality are not.

How soon we all forget. Boston is already participitating in darkening it's non-essential high rise lights in order to help bird migration. Can anyone find this article? I know I read it on Boston.com a few months ago and have indeed had the pleasure to work late enough to see the high rises turn off all non-essential lights in the financial district. This is probably saving a lot more energy than the one hour symbolic gesture.

I find that people making this political is priceless. Whether you are republican, democratic, liberal (yeah they are different) communist, or even apolitical, this applies to you. It's an effort made to reduce the carbon footprint albeit for one day. It's like the World Non Smoking Day or when the Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday or don't eat meat Good Friday. The gestures are small but it makes us all aware that by doing our part, we are helping out on a global scale.
So while you think that leaving a lamp on for an extra few hours or running your computer for the next three weeks is not affecting someone somewhere else, you are very very wrong. For once, think about the rest of the planet. After all, you are most likely typing on a computer made 10,000 miles away and one da, someone making that had an effect on your life.

erikyow - yes Boston prides itself on being socially progressive, yet we have been electing moronic politicians for years that do things like cut services for the mentally ill while they keep thousands of hacks employed at the Mass Turnpike Authority. The Pike could easily be merged with the Highway Dept and save millions of dollars. Plus think of all the energy wasted as we sut un kline to pay a toll.

The hacks come first with socially progressives in Massachusetts. They burn the midnight oil to do their dirty work and waste even more money and energy.

There's a difference between symbolism and progress... Enough with the 'gestures' ! It's time to DO something. We need a global movement to enact change and not only the turning of a light switch.

I would love to see Boston participate in an event such as this.

Turn office lights off every night!!! Duh. Also, lets throw some doors on those refrigerated display cases at the grocery store. That always bugged me. Didn't your mom always yell at you for leaving the fridge door open, or the lights on?

Do it beantown!

when are the global warming pundits going to admit to the recent data that the world is getting colder, not warmer? oh right, that doesn't fit in with Al Gore's bible of lunacy! it's like racism: once a liberal clings to these things, they never want them to go away and will do anything in their power to sustain the myths. without their myths, they've got nothing. btw, reducing pollution is a great thing, but it has nothing to do with world climate.