Earth Hour and the Great Game

I watched the lights going off in the city last night. It wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be. There were quite a few lights still on in some of the waterfront condos. The headlights from all the cars streaming into the city seemed unusually bright.

But the flashing coloured lights on the CN Tower were off. And the city was dark enough to make it almost magical.

Down by the lake couples were sitting quietly staring up at the stars. Some kids were playing with glow sticks. A woman in a fur coat beat a drum with a candle on it.

And back at the bunker I did my part for Earth Hour.

Just me and the dog. And one miserable tea candle....

















I don't think Kerouac was too impressed.

Although I must admit it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I did miss the second period of the Canadiens-Leafs game. But I think if I had a crank expresso machine, and a pedal generator to power the TV and the computer .... as well as a solar powered shower like Jack Layton has... I could hold out for days.

Seriously though ... I know it's a just a small symbolic gesture. But the thought that millions of people all over the world were doing the same thing to show they care about the planet really lifted my spirits.

Imagine if we could do it EVERY day of the year?

I hear that some of the rabid Cons at the Blogging Tories were encouraging people to turn on ALL their lights. And that the oil pimp Stephen Harper snubbed it. Which just proves that whatever that neocon porker is he's definitely NOT a leader.

But what do you expect?

Harper and his Cons know that every time somebody flicked a switch it was like flipping those climate change deniers a bird. Or telling them to fuck off...or fade to black. Or just like laughing in their faces.

Global warming is a MYTH!!!! Flick. Flip. Muahahaha.

Which I guess is another reason I enjoyed Earth Hour so much.

Really... how dum and crazy can these Cons be? What congenital mental incapacity blinds these climate change deniers to the fact that we're all in this one together?

Or on it anyway...


















And the party is almost over.

At present, a race for the world's resources is underway that resembles the Great Game that was played in the decades leading up to the First World War. Now, as then, the most coveted prize is oil and the risk is that as the contest heats up it will not always be peaceful.

In this round of the Great Game, energy shortage and global warming are reinforcing each another. The result can only be a growing risk of conflict. There were around 1.65 billion people in the world when the last round was played out. At the start of the 21st century, there are four times as many, struggling to secure their future in a world being changed out of recognition by climate change.

Until people realize how desperate and dangerous the situation really is, we probably won't do enough to save ourselves and the planet.

But in a world spinning out of control where hope is hard to find. I thought Earth Hour was a great idea.

A little candle shining in the dark.

If we don't work together to save our beautiful blue planet.

Who the fuck will?

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P.S. If the party really is over somebody forgot to tell these guys...



OMFG. The B-52's are back with a NEW album.

Can the END be far off?