ISRAEL: Let there be dark!

[oberliner]

Thursday night, Tel Aviv was the first city of 24 around the world to turn off electric lights for one hour as part of the global earth hour effort to raise awareness about the need to act against global warming. The venture was kicked off atop the city's Azrieli skyscraper by, among others, President Shimon Peres, who has embraced greenism and is promoting many environmental efforts. Israel should be at the front of global environmental campaigns, he said: "Everyone's beginning to understand that this is not a children's game."

At 8 p.m. sharp, businesses and citizens lost their lights for one hour in Israel's 24/7 city. Mayor Ron Huldai presided over the countdown until the Tel Aviv municipality building behind him went black. During the evening, about 40,000 people gathered in Rabin Square, where an Israeli band was giving a concert -- unplugged, of course. Putting to good use two local resources -- energetic Israelis and falafel -- the energy needed for stage lighting and sound came entirely from alternative sources. First, energy was generated by troops of peddling cyclists. Second, a generator supplied power with bio-diesel produced from distilled falafel oil. Elsewhere in town, restaurant patrons dined by candlelight and shoppers tried on clothes in semi-dark (which could have its own advantages). The electric company, monitoring things from its darkened situation-room, reported a satisfying cut in consumption for the hour and the Tel Aviv municipality declared the event a success.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/03/let-there-be-da.html

[Tom Joad]

1. They cut off electric supplies to millions of people not long ago...

is this part of their effort for the environment? (although it meant sewage went untreated)
Dumping hazardous waste in the West Bank.
bombing oil refineries in Lebanon, and causing a massive oil spill... another step for the environment?
raining a million cluster bombs on Lebanon... another environmental effort!

or were these just plain ol' war crimes, part of the Israeli leadership tradition?

[subsuelo]

2. good points, Tom

[oberliner]

3. Still, you'd agree with this action, would you not?

In spite of those points, this still seems like something positive, doesn't it?

[Tom Joad]

4. on the whole, Israel many actions are an enviromental nightmare.

so this token action means little.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. What's the big deal? Many other countries participated as well...

Why single out Israel for attention?

[oberliner]

6. Israel doesn't have the best environmental record in the world

It's good to see them taking some positive steps such as becoming a partner city with the Earth Hour movement.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. So what? Neither do we n/t

[ProgressiveMuslim]

8. Yes, I think Gaza was the first to "go dark." LOL! nt