The Green

When the grassroots organization, Lights Out San Francisco recently joined Eco-mmunity, we decided to join them and help take action for energy conservation. Eco-mmunity is intended to help people make connections. Like-minded companies and individuals need to become aware of each other and work together to solve the climate crisis.

Lights Out San Francisco is a citywide energy conservation event taking place on October 20, 2007. On this night, the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles will be invited to turn off all their non-essential lighting for one hour. In addition, free compact fluorescent light bulbs will be distributed throughout the city. You may ask: what good does one hour and one light bulb do? What do we hope to accomplish?
Lights Out estimates that turning lights out in San Francisco for even one hour could save as much as 15 percent of the energy consumed on an average Saturday night. The ongoing benefits of then installing CFLs in many houses and businesses will also be also significant.

Lights Out San Francisco was inspired by a similar event recently held in Sydney, Australia, called Earth Hour where, 2.2 million people participated. According to the post event calculations, one hour of lights out meant that 24.86 tons of carbon dioxide were not released into the air - the equivalent of taking 48,613 cars off the road for one hour.

Of course, we hope for the same or better here.

Thus far, LOSF has received a tremendous amount of support. Their growing list of supporters includes Esurance, Gap Inc., Integrated Archive Systems, PG&E, Safeway, Tides Center, and Yahoo!.

Eco-mmunity is proud to join that list. Since the Eco-mmunity Map exists to document and spread awareness to and about specific individuals who make green changes in the world, we are working with Lights Out to encourage all participants in the Lights Out San Francisco and Los Angeles events to create a map marker indicating their participation in the Lights Out event. Simply snap a picture showing your: candlelit restaurant, your home by moonlight or your lights out party and upload it to the map. The photos will appear in individual map markers that will be added to a new "Lights out" group on the map. You'll be able to view all these markers in a unique "Map Slideshow" soon after the event.

[b]We are also asking all of our Eco-mmunity members across the globe to consider turning their lights off as well in solidarity and adding their photos to the map as well.[b]

"We're very excited about the synergy between Sundance Channel's Eco-mmunity and lights out San Franscisco. Now, people can mark the map to show that they're turning out their lights or hosting a lights-out soiree. They can also upload photos of the night sky as the lights go out. Creating a place online where people have the opportunity experience and share this important energy conservation event. Our plan is to take what we learn here in San Francisco and apply it to citites throughout the US and the world. We believe the eco-mmunity, especially the map, will help us connect with more people." - Nate Tyler, founder of "Lights Out San Francisco".

Besides turning out the lights, feel free to include info about all your green efforts in life. Whether it be your awesome recycling system, your great energy saving appliances or the fabulous parties you can have when the lights are off, we want everyone in the world to see your marker. Get started on the Eco-mmunity Map now.

For more info on Lights Out and to sign up, go to LightsOut.org [www.lightsoutsf.org]