Earth Hour, or "Am I becoming Nick Harvey"?

Pete · Sat 26 Mar, 2011 15.53

So, the university in its infinite wisdom has decided to take part in something called Earth Hour. Part of this is a symbolic turning off of lights for the purposes of econess or something or other.

The press release from the Library is frankly beyond parody.

On Saturday 26th March, between 20.30 and 21.30, the main lights in the entrance area, InfoZone, café, atrium, and IT Suites on 1A and 2A will be switched off. Lights in GB, 1B and 2B will remain on, and we recommend that you relocate to these areas if you do not wish to participate or be inconvenienced. All stairwells will remain lit. If you are going to remain in the unlit areas please follow these basic guidelines: Try to move about as little as possible. Keep all bags and coats well under your desk so that they do not present a trip hazard to yourself or others. Do not leave valuables (e.g. laptops, mobile phones) unattended.

So essentially, they're admitting to themselves that all they are creating is one great big massive inconvenience / trip hazard for anyone in the building. Surely it would be wiser, if you intend to do something like this, to *REDUCE* lighting to a sensible / slightly lower than sensible level.

For example, turn off the outside floodlighting of the building, turn off the office lighting in the IT suite but keep the atrium lighting on to give a glow, turn off half the lighting in the other part of the building. That sort of thing.

But no, instead they just intend to piss everyone off.

Now the reason this is getting my goat is two fold. Firstly, the staff newsletter referred specifically to "unnecessary lighting". Now I'm sorry, if it is "unnecessary", why the flump is it on?

Secondly, I work nights. Now whilst I appreciate students like clubs and what not, is it really likely that 70% of the lounge/kitchens in the main block of halls will be occupied at 04.20 on a Sunday night / monday morning? I don't think so. Why on earth are there not motion sensors in those rooms like in every other room (and indeed, the hallways in those flats?)

And I'm not some sort of miserable eco tard who demands we sit in the dark. At night when they turn the main lighting off in main reception and just leave a few spotlights on to give a classy glow that shows off the wooden fixtures, I think it looks really nice. However if you are going to do some sort of silly stunt like this shouldn't you really see about getting your house in order first before lording it over everyone else to annoy them?

No?

Philip · Sat 26 Mar, 2011 16.15

Earth Week? I thought it was just Earth Night? Have they extended it to having to do it five days in a row?

I did it two years ago as I wasn't expecting anyone, and it was nice watching the night sky, but meh, I haven't done it sine then.

Also should the title- oh nevermind, just looked at the title, i'm not sure now but i thought there was a spelling mistake in the title. Moving on.

all new Phil · Sat 26 Mar, 2011 16.17

My work have been on an energy-saving crusade recently, to the extent where I'm having to carry things in the dark (in an area that other people frequently leave things lying on the floor), and use computers in an office with the lights switched off. It's ridiculous - yet at the same time lights elsewhere in the building are left on all the time where they aren't needed. Strangely enough, all this silliness doesn't seem to have had any effect on our consumption.

I'm all for not wasting energy, but sometimes it is actually needed. Humphhh.

Pete · Sat 26 Mar, 2011 16.28

Philip wrote:Earth Week? I thought it was just Earth Night?

having double checked, apparently it is just Earth Hour.

Nick Harvey · Sat 26 Mar, 2011 19.13

I have decided to put all the clocks in Harvey Towers forward early, at 20:30 tonight.

That'll save me turning any lights off.

DVB Cornwall · Sat 26 Mar, 2011 19.45

Love the logic Nick.

Superb.

lukey · Sun 27 Mar, 2011 02.01

It's worth noting that this same university's life sciences complex just happens to be participating by switching off the lights in its complex, notorious for its slightly unsettling everglow.....and definitely not just because their research symposium is on this weekend so there's no-one in the building anyway. Apparently once before they decided to dramatically switch off everything before realising no-one actually knew how to switch the mass spec back on. Yay.

Pete · Sun 27 Mar, 2011 02.05

Have you yet discovered why that building has the oddest and most unnerving colour of florescent tube ever created? I also note some random offices have a normal colour of light which somewhat ruins the effect of the place somewhat.

That and it being attached to a great hulking brutalist concrete lump that they tried to disguise by painting the window frames blue.

lukey · Sun 27 Mar, 2011 02.16

I think the newer extensions (JBC and WTB) use the starker more clinical lighting, whereas MSI (with, as you say, the adorable attempts to integrate into the rest of the place by sticking some blue wings on top of it) does whatever it can to stay vaguely illuminated. It is absurd though. I was told a memo was once circulated in 2004 suggesting lights could perhaps be switched off in offices, before being totally shot down for potentially ruining the creepy aesthetic.