Google goes dark for Earth Hour

Posted by Dan Farber

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Google made an environmental gesture today by turning the lights out on the U.S. version of its search page. The black background doesn't save energy, but it's Google's way of observing Earth Hour. The global event, created by the World Wildlife Fund, encourages people around the world to turn off their lights at 8:00 PM today, March 29, for an hour.

Topics:: Google

Tags:: Google,; Earth Hour,; green

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 59 comments (Showing first 20 comments)

Irony
by rushma March 29, 2008 2:26 PM PDT: Funny that a black screen actually uses more power (unless you're on a CRT or using a plasma TV as your monitor) than a white screen. Granted, it's barely a difference, I just found it kinda funny.; Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
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Right, so thieves can break into my house
by Dead Soulman March 29, 2008 2:33 PM PDT: What kind of stupid hippie nonsense is this? Turn the lights out in my house when is already dark outside. I'd play along if you ask me to turn off my tv, or air conditioner, or something more logical than that. But, turn my lights off so my place looks like a complete blackout is just ridiculous. I bet you Google wouldn't ask me to turn my computer off for one hour. Or even better, can Google do its part and ask people not to use their search engine for one hour. That'd be interesting if they were to request that.; Reply to this comment View all 5 replies
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Don't be silly!
by papy006 March 29, 2008 3:16 PM PDT: Google did something symbolic. You guys, just think and follow the Aussie's example. Turning off lights, ACs, heaters, ... even one minute can do good. The day the oil will be gone we're back in the stone age. More we push far this moment more the humanity has a chance to find another way to generate energy.
Cheers, Papy; Reply to this comment

Thieves rob houses
by jgibbison March 29, 2008 3:22 PM PDT: Totally wrong I usually use a light to find the goodies but couldn't because turning the light gave me away. I'm going to sue Google for loss of one hours earnings.; Reply to this comment

Fact or Fiction?: Black Is Better than White for Energy-Efficient Screens
by jester_man March 29, 2008 3:22 PM PDT: I found this interesting...
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-black-is; Reply to this comment

google.ca as well
by Fragarach 87 March 29, 2008 3:25 PM PDT: Google Canada has also "Turned the lights off"; Reply to this comment

Why not turn off the adverts?
by nicmart March 29, 2008 4:06 PM PDT: Oh, the pain! They sacrificed so much. Maybe it would have been
a tad more impressive if they had turned off the ad revenue for
an hour.

What remained brightly lit is Google's hypocrisy.; Reply to this comment

Nice dark page of google!
by sangandhi March 29, 2008 5:23 PM PDT: Nice dark page by google. Every little bit helps, they say....
A site which has been offering this kinda search for a while is www.searchincolor.com. There's actually a green background, lol...

-SG; Reply to this comment View reply
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thanks for brightening my day!
by cohogo March 29, 2008 6:01 PM PDT: you're funny... really... Hippies and Environmentalists and Al
Gores, oh my!

Sounds a lot like Commies and Fascists and Hitlers, too, if this
were only a couple decades ago...

We should definitely leave our lights on so that these awful
people don't use those fear tactics on us while we're at home in
the dark. I can just imagine an environmentalist lurking outside
my window.

Seriously, though, what harm can you do by saving a little
energy here and there? Don't want thieves breaking in to your
house, maybe you can leave one light on and still feel ok. Or
maybe you could make a more long-term investment by
switching to florescent bulbs or something.

Really, the point here isn't to scare you or to subvert you into
one of those dirty, scary hippies, it's so save some resources at a
time when many people are unsure about the longevity of said
resources.

I don't understand the resistance to something like this. Who
are you hurting by lowering your electricity bill and possibly
(depending on what you're so inclined to believe about the
environment) helping the world out? Even if you don't subscribe
to the notion of climate change, surely you can understand the
idea that energy costs money, so energy efficiency and diversity
are beneficial.; Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
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Actually, It does save energy
by coryschulz March 29, 2008 7:12 PM PDT: Google offers a permanently black service called Blackle. http://www.blackle.com/

Right now it says "536,062.571 Watt hours saved".; Reply to this comment View all 3 replies
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Publicity?
by poster48150 March 29, 2008 7:32 PM PDT: "The global event, created by the World Wildlife Fund, encourages people around the world to turn off their lights at 8:00 PM today, March 29, for an hour."

They might have had more participation if they'd advertised it a little more. The first I heard about it was a few minutes ago (the hour ended 1.5 hours ago as I write this) when I read this article.; Reply to this comment

clowns are sad on the inside ;)
by cohogo March 29, 2008 7:40 PM PDT: no... you come pay my $26 energy bill and we'll talk. I'm not
interested in paying $500 and then complaining when someone
brings up the notion that I should use less, even if they don't.

I commend you for using more efficient florescent bulbs, and as
you point out, we know nothing about who you are or where you
live, but come on, your comment was strictly name-calling and
anger-based. I understand your concern about corporations like
Google being, at times, hypocritical, but that neither excuses
anyone from a responsibility to be concerned about their effects
on those around them, nor does it justify your contempt for
certain politicians and social groups. If anything, I would say
your point about Google serves to illustrate the refusal of certain
other politicians and interest groups to jump on the bandwagon
of environmentalism when it suits their own interests... just like
major corporations tend to do. you're on to something that I
agree with, I just don't think you've made the connection to
yourself or your politics. I'm curious if you have a measured
response to this, or if this is going to be a debate from two
decidedly high horses.; Reply to this comment View reply
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Ridiculous
by flickrz March 29, 2008 8:18 PM PDT: It would have been better if Google had turned off half of their servers in order to save energy. They have thousands of servers that would have saved severl kilowatts. This is just hypocrisy. Promote people to use less energy so that they can buy cheap electricity for their servers.; Reply to this comment View reply
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Going dark
by rlwyke March 30, 2008 8:18 AM PDT: What a WASTE of time!!!!!!; Reply to this comment View reply
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Earth Hour Photos Around the Globe
by eGenerations March 30, 2008 10:07 AM PDT: If you get bored... http://egenerations.com/article-1315-4-earth-hour-photos-around-the-globe; Reply to this comment

What's the big deal
by m_sims01 March 30, 2008 5:22 PM PDT: I turn my lights off every night.; Reply to this comment

Dang! I banged my knee in the coffee table!
by smarty_pantz March 30, 2008 6:52 PM PDT: tIm rtying two tlype in hte darrk.
Glo goolge!

-im trlying to baand-eid mly knee, blut I htink i jjust bannd-aidd hte cat.; Reply to this comment View reply
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Loss of respect for Google and others
by biffhenerson March 31, 2008 6:24 AM PDT: It makes me feel yucky inside when people and corporations that I look up to tell me that the world is flat. I know better. Why don?t they? All this green crap and global warming crap is... well... crap. How could people be so gullible to believe that the world is flat? Because they are uneducated sheeple not educated people! Just a herd of humans begging to be led by someone... anyone. Fools. "A fool and his money are soon parted" Fools, your paying extra for this green mentality. You filling someone else?s pockets. Just like the snake oil salesmen used to do to a towns unsuspecting citizens. Funny how things stay the same. Flat earth. Snake oil salesmen. Foolish people.; Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
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stupid
by kakodes_too March 31, 2008 7:28 AM PDT: Stupid; Reply to this comment View reply
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