Here it is March 21st, Earth Hour Eve. Earth Hour is 8:30 to 9:30 on March 22nd. For all I know, it already is Earth Hour somewhere on this emerald-green and turquoise-blue ball that gave us life and sustains it even now. As darkness rolls around the planet on the 22nd, as many as a billion people will switch off their electric lighting for that hour.

As Earth Hour approaches, let’s consider whether Slate Magazine’s Bjørn Lomborg is right when he writes that the lesson learned from switching off those lights, and even the net effect of it, are counterproductive. Read his rant.

Are his claims accurate? If they are, what might a meaningful Earth Day look like? Or do you subscribe to the “Drill baby, drill!” solution that says the only problem is we aren’t burning enough fossil fuel in each available hour?

Topics: celebration, electricity, lightning, conservation, Earth, planets