Earth Hour

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Did the Earth Hour thing tonight and sat drinking coffee and talking to Margaret and Simon by candle light for a while and then went with a walk.

Couldn't be sure if we saw anyone else doing it. Lots of houses with their lights on. Those with the lights off --- were they home and doing the Earth Hour light's off thing or were they off visiting someone else?

Oh, well. The thought was there.
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Shedding some light. Maybe.

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I thought I had left this urban myth behind long ago. I first met it in 1983 and re-met it over the weekend.

It goes like this: I don't turn lights off because it uses more power to turn them on and off than they use when on.

Really? I don't think so.

How much more? Lets say 100 times, for the argument. It's generous.

How long does it take to turn a light on? Let's say half a second, for the argument. It's generous.

100 times a half =50. It's generous. Squared.

So if you turn a light off for anything over a minute you will be saving more power than if you left it on. So turn it off, already.

And take that myth and bury it. Somewhere dark.

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But a different question, same topic: It was suggested that the turning on and off of a power-saving fluorescent bulb shortens it's life and that, if you include the cost of the bulb, the economics can favour leaving it on. That complicates the calculation. I still don't like it though.

Anyone know about this?
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