21 ways to spend Earth Hour sans power

More than 1,800 cities worldwide have committed to participate in Earth Hour 2009 on March 28, 8:30 to 9:30pm, and Vancouver is one of them.

This year's theme "Vote Earth" pits our beloved heroine, Earth, against her arch nemesis Global Warming; by switching off the lights on March 28, you'll be casting a vote for the good guys. The goal is to reach 1 billion votes, which will be presented by Earth Hour creators World Wildlife Fund to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol.

Now in its third year, Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, and has since spread around the globe. Last year, BC Hydro reported a drop in energy consumption of around 2 percent province wide, with North Vancouver reducing its consumption by a whopping 6 percent.
 

21 things to do in the dark

1. 1. Get romantic with your favourite environmentalist.

1. 2. Play poker by candlelight. Or in the dark.

1. 3. Do yoga or tai chi.

1. 4. Hold a séance. Pull out the Ouija board and invoke the spirit of Jacques Cousteau.

1. 5. Think. Ponder the significance of light, and its absence, to human civilization.

1. 6. Go for a run or a walk with a friend or pet. Count how many houses have all the lights off.

1. 7. Invite all the best storytellers you know over for an Earth Hour party; the best story wins a case of local brew.

1. 8. Catch up on your sleep—go to bed really early.

1. 9. Take a bath lined with candles; consider why you don’t do this more often.

1. 10. Be a kid. Play a game like Hide-and-Go-Seek, Sardines, Telephone or Tag in the dark with your favourite little (or big) people.

1. 11. Have an Earth Hour potluck, but take it one further: every dish must be served without heat or power. Tell everyone to bring their own candle, too.

1. 12. Journal or write a letter by candlelight.

1. 13. Have a wine-tasting party. Serve all the wine—both red and white—at room temperature and see who can guess which is which.

1. 14. Make music. Sing your heart out. Play bongos or guitar. Hold a drum circle.

1. 15. Have a really good conversation with someone who’s usually attached to their iPhone or Blackberry.

1. 16. Take a kid snipe-hunting. They’ll never forget it.

1. 17. Tell jokes. Lots of them.

1. 18. Have a candlelight dinner. Invite your neighbours to join.

1. 19. Give yourself a homemade facial, put on some music, then sit back and relax.

1. 20. Stargaze.

1. 21. Call someone. Call your best friend from high school. Call your aunt. Call your MLA. While you’re reconnecting, remind the person on the other end of the line about Earth Hour.

What will you do for Earth Hour?