Earth Hour: the Majesty of Failure
Economics & Deregulation, Deregulation Unit, Energy and Climate Change | Alan Moran
Catallaxy Files 12th April, 2012
All those darkened buildings, all that hype about switching off to save the planet! How successful is the tidal wave of support demonstrating our commitment to showing an example to the world?
The numbers are in. According to the electricity market operator, the reduction in usage for Earth Hour across the eastern and southern states was two per cent in 2012. That's down from the dizzy heights of 3.6 per cent in 2008. The reduction over the course of the day itself was 0.08 per cent.
Here is the data by state.
Reduction in electricity consumption during Earth Hour
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| QLD | 3.5% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| NSW | 3.7% | 1.9% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| VIC | 3.7% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.0% |
| SA | 3.3% | 1.6% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 1.5% |
| TAS | 3.7% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| NEM Total | 3.6% | 1.4% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| Total for day | |||||
| QLD | 1.5% | 0.04% | 0.11% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| NSW | 1.6% | 0.08% | 0.13% | 0.12% | 0.13% |
| VIC | 1.5% | 0.05% | 0.09% | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| SA | 1.4% | 0.07% | 0.12% | 0.13% | 0.06% |
| TAS | 1.6% | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| NEM Total | 1.5% | 0.06% | 0.11% | 0.09% | 0.08% |
Divide that by 365 to get the percentage of electricity saved in a year.
Earth Hour is the ultimate in symbolic posturing, the purpose of which is to confirm the self-assessed moral superiority of those participating in it. It is directed at an issue, human induced global warming, that is becoming increasingly discredited in scientific circles and is harnessed to a solution, self-denial of energy use, where the Green Pharisees are becoming less fervent.