Earth Hour

Who knew sitting in the dark could be so fun? It was a delight to celebrate an hour of darkness during Earth Hour Saturday, March 27, 2010. The sun set around 8:00 pm in Stony Plain, Alberta, making the sky only a bit darker at 8:30 pm.

I walked my bichon around the block and observed numerous houses without lights. It would be nice to believe they were celebrating too, but I suppose many were just not home. Wishing the street lights would go out, I returned home and noticed that sitting in the semi-darkness encouraged conversation. It forced me to stop dashing around trying to accomplish things.

Many cities reported electricity savings as people turned off their lights. Apparently candle use surged instead! I think the next step should be to encourage people to actually embrace the darkness. Go outside and observe the change from daylight to twilight to darkness. Look at the different shades of the sky, close your eyes and feel the air cool against your skin.

When it's dark, look for planets and stars and satellites. Imagine the stories ancient cultures once told when they looked up at the illustrated canvas of the night sky.

Mark your calendars for next year! Dark skies are important for animals and plants as well as those who love to view constellations and night sky phenomena.