Another Earth Hour Has Come And Gone... But Did Anyone Notice?

This past Saturday night, many participated in Earth Hour. For one hour a year, so called "progressives" turn back the clock 200 years and turn off their lights for an hour in name of fighting climate change. I love pointing out on twitter every year that it's ALWAYS Earth Hour in North Korea

North Korea... Where it's #EarthHour ALL THE TIME! pic.twitter.com/t9CsDjtYWi

— Political Paradox (@PoliParadox) March 26, 2017

Is it me or does this event become more of a non-event every year? Earth Hour started in Sydney Australia in 2007 and went international the following year. As I recall, in the days leading up the the big day, there was quite a bit of media coverage in those first few years but as each year passed, the coverage seemed to dwindle. This past Saturday I didn't even know about it until it was mentioned on my local newscast Saturday morning.

Not that I participate in Earth Hour or anything. Quite frankly, it's a huge waste of time. Just another example of what I call "SLACKtivism". Those people who think changing a Facebook picture after a terrorist attack or putting some inspirational quote in their e-mail signature somehow changes the world. Of course, nothing really gets achieved. Forget the fact that burning a candle is far worse for the planet than burning a light bulb.

As each year passes, statistics on how much power was reduced seems to be harder to come by. The only province where stats are readily reported on is British Columbia. Reports from Toronto suggest this year's earth hour may have been the worst ever. A newspaper in the Niagara area suggested people participated this year however they failed to compare it to previous years. Last year, media in my city were all too eager to hype up earth hour ahead of time but failed to report on how we did after the fact. So I decided to tweet my local power company on numbers locally here in Kitchener and they got back to me about 12 hours later. What? No one in the local media could have bothered to do that? I'm not a reporter... I'm a nobody and they easily got me the answer I wanted. The reality is, the media rarely report on anything unless someone bothers to send them a press release. You know earth hour is getting really bad when even the media doesn't seem to care anymore.

A Letter To My MPP

A few weeks ago, I did something that I've never done before. I wrote a letter to my MPP. I was worried that a carbon tax would be introduced in the upcoming budget and I was concerned about that.

Here's what I wrote:

Dear MPP,

I am writing to say I OPPOSE the rumored carbon tax the Liberals are proposing in the upcoming spring 2015 budget. Please do research on climate change. Virtually all statistics coming out are being manipulated to it make it appear that there is a warming trend... the opposite is true.

Please do the right thing and vote against a budget that has a carbon tax in it. 
 
And here is the robotic response I got. Looks like this is a generic e-mail with my name slapped on the top. Didn't address anything I had to say in my original message.

Dear Political Paradox,
Thank you for your email regarding our government’s ongoing discussions surrounding a climate change strategy for Ontario. I always appreciate hearing from constituents.

The Government of Ontario is committed to providing leadership in fighting climate change, which is why the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) is launching consultations on a new Climate Change Strategy.

We know that climate change threatens our communities, infrastructure, natural resources, businesses, and the environment – at home, and internationally. While we still have a lot of work ahead of us, we are proud to build on the progress we have already made.

Ontario’s decision to close coal-fired electricity plants, curb the use of cosmetic pesticides, and protect 1.8 million acres of land have resulted in fewer smog days and cleaner water. Ending coal-fired power is the single largest greenhouse gas reduction initiative in North America, equivalent to taking seven million cars off the road.

Over the next few months, we will be asking Ontarians about their thoughts on how to fight climate change, foster economic growth, and keep our businesses competitive. In fact, Ontario has the fastest growing clean-tech sector in Canada, with 2,700 clean-tech firms employing 65,000 people and generating annual revenues of more than $8 billion.

To begin the process, a Climate Change Discussion Paper has been posted to the Environmental Registry for public comment on February 12, 2015 for a 45 day period, and is the first phase of a series of comprehensive consultations to be held throughout the coming year. To contribute to the ongoing discussion, please visit www.ebr.gov.on.ca

These province-wide consultations will speak to climate change, the risks of doing nothing, economic growth opportunities, and our path forward. Further details regarding in-person public sessions can be found at www.ontario.ca/climatechange

We look forward to hearing from the general public, industry stakeholders, businesses, Aboriginal leaders, and municipal representatives on this vital issue. Also, Ontario will host a Climate Summit of the Americas from July 7-9, 2015, to advance collaborative action on climate change ahead of the Conference of the Parties in Paris in December 2015.
Once again, thank you for writing. If I can be of assistance with any other provincial issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.