In the column, ‘Earth Hour: A dissent,’ March 30 Gazette, professor Ross McKitrick of the University of Guelph defends electricity from those who would celebrate Earth Hour.
The whole mentality around Earth Hour demonizes electricity, he says. It does no such thing. The gesture of turning down the lights is meant to make us pause to think about how we generate and use electricity. As an Earth Hour celebrant, I readily confess that right after our lovely candlelight celebration with friends, on went the lights.
We all know how important electricity is in our lives. The point of Earth Hour is not to suggest we do without electricity, but to think about ways to produce it in the most environmentally benign way we can and use it as efficiently as possible. And while we’re totting up accounts, let’s not underestimate the potential benefits of a candlelight interlude.
Rob Powell, St. Albert
