Addendum (2/2/07): Upon reflection this started to bug me. Check out my next posting for some elaboration. xo n.
The 1st of February 2007:
Participate in the biggest mobilization of Citizens Against Global Warming!
The Alliance for the Planet [a group of environmental associations] is calling on all citizens to create 5 minutes of electrical rest for the planet. http://www.lalliance.fr
People all over the world should turn off their lights and electrical appliances on the first of February 2007, between 1.55 pm and 2.00 pm in New York, 18.55 for London, and 19.55 for Paris, Bruxelles, and Italy. 1.55pm in Ottawa, 10.55am on the Pacific Coast of North America.
This is not just about saving 5 minutes worth of electricity; this is about getting the attention of the media, politicians, and ourselves.
Five minutes of electrical down time for the planet: this does not take long, and costs nothing, and will show all political leaders that global warming is an issue that needs to come first and foremost in political debate.
Why February 1? This is the day when the new UN report on global climate change will come out in Paris.
This event affects us all, involves us all, and provides an occasion to show how important an issue global warming is to us. If we all participate, this action can have real media and political weight.
3 comments
Comments feed for this article
February 1, 2007 at 9:58 am
inel
Good for you for promoting action in favour of climate change!
However, as far as I can tell, this campaign is really only valid in France, where it originated. It has undergone some misleading changes that are worth being aware of, so that any actions people take are not wasted. I have unravelled this on my blog, because I know people who were confused about the times in various locations, and I noticed the date of the report was incorrect, and so on …
Actually, the IPCC report “Climate Change 2007” will be released the following day, on Friday, February 2nd, 2007 in Paris.
Actually, they are calling on all citizens in France. This is a political campaign to get climate change on the agenda for the upcoming French presidential elections. Good.
February 1, 2007 at 10:47 pm
goodgirlculture
thanks for the clarification and correction. a friend forwarded the info to me and i hadn’t posted anything in a while, so i figured what the heck? that’s what i get for posting something without fact checking it first!
to be honest, i don’t really know what to think about these mass actions. i love the idea of a gazillion people all doing something at once (probably because i know what can happen when stuff starts gaining momentum), but there are so many gimmicks in the world, and they make me tired.
on that note, i’m now going to post another call to action that seems to be in response to the electrical rest business (or at least it refers to it). and after that i think i will put a moratorium on it. there’s something reminiscent of those email chain letters that i (thankfully) hardly ever get anymore…i feel slightly guilty, like i’m breaking some kind of sacred internet trust by not forwarding it to my entire address book.
thanks for your comment!
February 1, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Email Activism Backlash « subverting overconsumption
[...] I carelessly posted a call to “action” involving a coordinated turning off of lights and electrical appliances around the world to [...]