LIGHTS DIMMED FOR DIMWITS

You know what I think? I think Earth Hour is a wank. Sixty Minutes of feel-good rubbish that will supposedly save the world. Turn off your lights. Save squillions of those symbolic black balloons or face the guilt and wrath and scorn of your neighbours and your newspaper and your government.Talk about dim your lights for dimwits.

Supposedly Melbourne will be one of 2712 cities and towns across the globe which will go dark between 8.30p.m. and 9.30p.m. on Saturday. It’s never ON the hour! Anyway The Age today claims 99 of Australia’s top 100 companies will take part in it. I wonder if that means the city skyline will go dark Saturday night. I doubt it. BHP Billiton is a good example. They’ll dim the lights at head office here in Melbourne but is leaving the decision on whether pr not to participate to ‘individual mine managers’. Year, sure.

The Age and sister paper, the Sydney Morning Herald were blatant PR papers for Earth Hour last year and here the then editor even ran positive story lines disguised as news that were suggested by the World Wildlife Foundation.  The end of the world stories haven’t been quite so dramatic or numerous this year.

And cracks are showing. The Age headlines today that ‘Race Dims Earth Hour Spirit.’  It reports several big name restaurants that supported Earth Hour last year have pulled out because of the Grand Prix and other commitments like the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

So only make a commitment when it doesn’t inconvenience you. Actually I support them. When I’m out to dinner on Saturday night I don’t want the lights and power turned off.

Still, they are getting into the spirit at the Housing Commission tower in South Melbourne. They’re inviting everybody down for a night of entertainment including ‘images projected on to the tower using biofuel from agricultural waste’. Frankly, blacking out a block of Housing Commission units is asking for trouble. Try that in Kensington and the place would be stripped.

And that does raise an interesting point. A lot of businesses have lights and security systems linked to the same power source. Could be a great time for a CBD crime spree.

And how about safety?  A patron would have a good insurance claim if they have a fall in a dimly lit restaurant, or theatre or public place.

Last year the zealots even wanted the AFL to dim the lights at Telstra Dome. That was knocked on the head for the same reason.

I know some of you will think this is a cynical jaundiced view but to me it’s touchy-feely madness that achieves nothing. As I said: Dimming the lights for dimwits.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2009