LoadWB's Journal: Earth Hour protest

I will be protesting this year's Earth Hour. Simply put, I believe that we are basing an ideology on a minute variable in a horribly complex system which we simply do not have the power to understand. Every week there are new, properly studied reports which tell us that, aside from CO2 being a very small percentage of the Greenhouse Gases we so decry, there is another variable which has not been considered. The most recent is that dust actually has influence over Atlantic water temperatures, not carbon dioxide.

The concept of carbon credits, "Cap and Trade," is nothing more than a way to control people. This money we are to pay for credits goes to those who would control us, irrespective of the touting of third-world countries which it will help. All the while the same people who vilify our energy usage are enforcing draconian energy rules on developing nations which have the net effect of preventing development. At the same time, these people who would judge us and control us blatantly and brazenly ignore their own justifications and limitations, and yet somehow are given pass.

They want to tax us who might consume over whatever limit they would arbitrarily set. And yet I say that I already pay for any amount I consume in terms of a percentage of my electric bill. I am charged for every bit I consume, and therefore should not be charged additionally for any overage of what THEY think I should use. If THEY really want to enforce such an agenda, then allow those who use less than the arbitrary limit to use energy for free, and ONLY charge those who use over that limit. But that would lose money in the long run because it is an ignorant idea to attempt to tax a "vice," no matter what you may consider a vice to be.

But ignoring the political power overtones of the entire issue, I state this: I am tired of being told every day that I live my life in a wasteful manner, when all I am trying to do is simply live my life.

I conserve. I am conscious of my energy usage simply because it is the right thing to do, if only for the selfishness of paying less every month. I was raised to only use energy (nee electricity) when and where necessary. And that is all I do.

For Earth Hour this year I will continue to use energy as I see fit. I will, however, illuminate all of my outside lighting, which amounts to two spot lights and one flood light. I will not turn on all of the lights in my house, and I will not use energy needlessly other than my display of protest -- doing so is a waste, is completely ignorant, and just plays right into THEIR hands to justify THEIR argument.

What I will do is continue to live my life, ignoring outright the missives of the frothing masses, which is exactly what they are against -- the freedom to live my life.