One might only hope.

Thanks to its place of prominence in the capital, 24 Sussex Dr, the Prime Minister’s residence, is always easy to spot. As Ottawa went dark last night for Earth Hour, it was even easier

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s lights stayed on

Mangez le gâteau, eh?

The ever-illuminated Peace Tower on Parliament Hill went black at the stroke of 8 p.m, as did the lighted Canada signs that adorn federal buildings in the capital

Stornoway, official residence of Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, was almost impossible to find among the mansions in Ottawa’s upscale Rockcliffe neighbourhood. Dion, a former environment minister, even delivered a speech by candlelight in Toronto.

Rideau Hall, home to Governor General Michaëlle Jean, was dark, and even Harper’s attack dog, federal Environment Minister John Baird, was at his Nepean home “with the lights off, of course,” said a spokesperson.

But two ground-floor rooms in the benighted Prime Minister’s house stayed on and inquiries to a PMO spokesperson were not returned. The third-floor offices on Parliament Hill that house the Prime Minister’s Office were also among the few lights that stayed on

At least he didn’t leave his SUV idling in the driveway for the whole hour.

A pox on you, sir.

The only point of light in a vast stretch of the frozen Arctic Ocean dimmed slightly last night as the Canadian Coast Guard research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen symbolically joined the global movement for the environment.

For safety reasons, the Coast Guard could only shut off a handful of the ship’s external lights to mark Earth Hour.

Yet the gesture had added significance because the icebreaker is halfway through a 10-month research expedition focused on understanding Arctic climate change. Drawing public attention to the urgency of climate change is the drive behind Earth Hour.

“We’re not a city, but we are doing what we can without compromising our mission or the safety of people on board,” said Captain Lise Marchand.

At 8 p.m. local time, the sun was still shining brightly on the vessel’s location at the 71st parallel of latitude south of Banks Island in the western Arctic.

But when twilight cane shortly before 9 p.m., Coast Guard officers didn’t turn on the spotlight that normally shines on the ship’s funnel, illuminating a maple leaf.

Also left dark were giant spotlights that usually illuminate the ice in front and behind the 98-metre vessel. Some deck lights were dimmed as well but chief engineer Stéphane Dufour said he had to ensure that crew members or scientists didn’t stumble on the extra equipment crammed into every available cranny outside.

The Amundsen, normally bristling with lights here in the ice, was now more like when it is moving through the water.

One exception was the spotlight that shines on the bottom of the ship’s gangway, to provide warning of any curious polar bears that might try to board.

Some of the 40 researchers said they intended to shut down personal computers and douse their cabin lights.

The ship’s lights are the only ones on the frozen Beaufort Sea for hundreds of kilometers in any direction. On land, the nearest artificially lit human settlement is Sachs Harbour, roughly 50 kilometres to the north on Banks Island.

Chief scientist Tim Papakyriakou said Canadians need to be more aware of the valuable research into the Arctic environment made possible by federal funding for the Amundsen and for a network of Arctic scientists.

“Climate change of some kind has been with us for a long time. We need to understand the Arctic system and the natural processes much better if we are going to deal with it,” he said.

Source: Toronto Star, March 30, 2008

The CCGS Amundsen, a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, her crew and scientific entourage returned safely to port last fall after a year of conducting new scientific research in the Northwest Passage of Canada’s Arctic. This icebreaker acted as a floating platform for scientists from around the world in studying the effects of global climate change near the Beaufort Sea.

Year Long Arctic Expedition

At 8 p.m, as lights across the Greater Toronto Area went out, the international space station sailed across the darkening sky above the David Dunlap Observatory.

More than 400 people showed up at the Richmond Hill observatory last night for Earth Hour; more than double what organizers hoped for.

Lineups to peer through the outdoor telescopes were dozens deep as families took turns gazing at Saturn.

A native fire burned in front of the large white dome.

Many came in support of the observatory and the island of nature around it, which local environmentalists and heritage activists are trying to preserve as a landmark heritage site.

The land is currently owned by the University of Toronto and may soon be sold.

“This is where the earth meets the sky. That people want to spend Earth Hour here shows there is a obviously a call for it [to stay an observatory]” said an organizer with the observatory defenders’ group.

“This will be sold to a developer, and that is what our fight is to protect against,” she said.

The University of Toronto has declared the facility surplus and are putting the observatory, and the 75 hectares of parkland surrounding it, up for sale to the highest bidder. Despite support by the town through restrictions on lighting and emissions that might cloud its view of the night sky, urban growth around the observatory has reduced its scientific value.

But the property is worth up to $100 million on the open market. Which is money the town doesn’t have. They ideas on frustrating the sale and development of the property but at the end of the day its going to happen.

There are a number of groups that have joined the fight. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada would like to see it become a community observatory to provide astronomy outreach and education.

A group called Save the DDO want to see the David Dunlap Observatory preserved as a historic landmark, an operating observatory for scientific research, and a natural landscape for the people of the GTA to enjoy.

And the Richmond Hill Naturalists see the need to preserve the site for greenspace as there is so little of it left.

Save the Dunlap Observatory

Roo Borson, Ten Thousand
Image: Van Gogh, Starry Night Over the Rhone

I remember how thrilling it was, back on December 31, 1999, to watch new year’s celebrations being launched around the world, beginning with the Marshall Islands. The December news had been filled with debates over last minute generator purchases, reminiscent of the backyard bomb shelter discussions in the 1950s.At midnight, though, amid the celebratory fireworks, the cheery lights were still burning brightly in the Pacific, then New Zealand and Australia, and then west from there.

This March 29, we celebrate Earth Hour, a symbolic acknowledgement of our small blue planet and a global call to action over climate change. Communities around the world are powering down during this hour of contemplation.

Earth Hour celebrations kicked off in Israel yesterday - a day early in recognition of the Sabbath.

Today, New Zealand was the first country to mark the hour, with church bells ringing out from Christchurch Cathedral. It was followed an hour later by Suva, the capital city of Fiji and then the east coast of Australia.

Thousands gathered in Melbourne’s Federation Square for an hour of entertainment and celebration, joining famous landmarks throughout the country including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Parliament House in Canberra.

Australia has had an enthusiastic response to the hour, with all the capital cities as well as dozens of regional centres taking part in both going dark and hosting a range of themed events. Almost all of the top 100 companies on the Australian Stock Exchange committed to turning off the lights and reduce their carbon emissions by 5%.

The first Earth Hour was held on March 31, 2007, as part of a campaign by the World Wildlife Fund to bring attention to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. An estimated 2 million Sydney residents participated, resulting in a 10.2 per cent drop in energy for the hour, according to Energy Australia.

“We have been overwhelmed by the success of this event,” said WWF spokesman Charlie Stevens. “I think it is the simplicity of that has made it such a huge success. It is a small thing but such a fantastic message.”

Here on the south coast of Canada, we had an opportunity to see the stars again (for the first time since the northeastern blackout of 2003) and, in the new darkness and evening quiet, contemplate the fragility of our small blue planet.

What is amazing is that so many in the global community have pulled together for this celebration.

Associated Press coverage of Australian and Asian Earth Hour

Toronto Star images

Toronto Star: Special Section on Earth Hour

In anticipation of Earth Hour, 8 - 9 pm this Saturday, at which time we are all requested to turn off lights and appliances and take part in community activities that encourage energy savings and acknowledge global warming, let’s remember the blackout that blessed this city on a hot day in August, 2003.

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003. It was the largest blackout in North American history.

In areas where power remained off after nightfall, the Milky Way and orbiting artificial satellites became visible to the naked eye in metropolitan areas where they cannot ordinarily be seen due to the effects of light pollution.

There was speculation about terrorism, then finger-pointing at Canada. But a joint federal task force finally identified that the main cause of the blackout was FirstEnergy Corporation’s failure to trim trees in part of its Ohio service area. The report said that a generating plant in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, went off-line amid high electrical demand, and strained high-voltage power lines, located in a distant rural setting, and later went out of service when they came in contact with “overgrown trees.” The cascading effect that resulted ultimately forced the shutdown of more than 100 power plants.

It was a magical time here in Toronto, when you could share the camaraderie in a neighbour’s yard where they had a wind-up radio, and marvel at the total blackness, and finally see the stars.