Google Goes Black for Earth Hour

By Lewis Wallace March 29, 2008 10:29:46 AMCategories: Enviro, Web/Tech
Google's elegant white homepage went basic black Saturday to draw attention to an environmental campaign called Earth Hour.
The website, which is known for tinkering with its logo for various holidays, switched its entire homepage color scheme and posted a simple message below its search box: "We've turned the lights out. Now it's your turn."
The official Earth Hour page explains the idea behind Saturday's environmental event: "On March 29, 2008, at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund."
Will Google stay black? Nope -- because there's no reason to, according to a note on the site. "As to why we don't do this permanently -- it saves no energy; modern displays use the same amount of power regardless of what they display," says Google.
See also:
How Google Got Its Colorful Logo
Hip-Hop Newbie Raps About Google
Short Skit Visualizes Google's Dark Side
All Google's Roads Lead to Kansas
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Google says so? Well, what did they mean by "modern displays"?
LCD's actually consume a little more energy when displaying black than when displaying white. See this link for more info:
http://www.oledbuyingguide.com/oled-tv-articles/oled-tv-vs-lcd-tv.html
Posted by: Raul Saavedra Mar 29, 2008 9:16:47 AM
I'm just glad google is out there raising awareness. My social consciousness needed a refill after live earth.
Posted by: yarrrr Mar 29, 2008 9:47:14 AM
Another liberal "style over substance" gesture of no import whatsover.
Posted by: John Mar 29, 2008 11:39:04 AM
What makes it liberal? Getting people to reduce energy waste is liberal? Multi-billion-dollar corporations are liberal? Trying to fix a problem by changing individual behavior before the government or the market forces your hand is liberal?
Okay, if you say so.
Posted by: Matt Mar 29, 2008 11:54:31 AM
Matt, does Magic Earth Hour do any of that? It's all a bunch of pretentious feel good asshatery for faux altruists. We're aware now, please STFU.
Posted by: yarrrr Mar 29, 2008 12:12:29 PM
Doing things that just may interrupt people from their every day hub-bub and ask them to think about the world that they live in MUST be a 'liberal' (use whichever label you like, divisionists) action. You sure as shit don't see the radical neo-cons doing similar.
Posted by: Kent Mar 29, 2008 12:22:01 PM
The radical right leans toward AVOIDING thought, baby Bush is an obvious example. I think it is a nice gesture by Google.
Posted by: Darla Jean Mar 29, 2008 1:08:59 PM
It's funny that the http://www10.earthhourus.org/ website use an animated javascript which is using a lot of calculation power, so the computer energy comsummation increases when such web pages are displayed by navigator!
What a pity!
Posted by: David GOLIATH Mar 29, 2008 1:30:46 PM
Those wacky liberals and their crazy ideas of conservation. Thank goodness conservatives don't believe in that nonsense, right?
Posted by: Max Mar 29, 2008 1:34:35 PM
Funny, this. Wouldn't it be more impressive if Google shut down all their servers for the hour... that's the whole point, right? Use less electricity, not tell people to use less electricity.
Posted by: Clint Mar 29, 2008 1:44:43 PM
The earth hour is bullshit. But, if we can help the Liberals soothe their guilt complex for an hour, I guess it's the least we can do for the mentally challenged and mentally disturbed.
Have fun with it Liberals !!!
Posted by: Ridelights Mar 29, 2008 1:46:54 PM
Humans aren't causing global warming FFS. Fucking Liberals. You think you can observe major climate changes in the small lifespan of a human? "look around, theres ice shelfs breaking off", no shit how do you all suppose the pole got its jagged edges to begin with? Shits always breaking off. Just rare to see within a human life time.
Posted by: Akrid Mar 29, 2008 2:00:34 PM
Boy, it sure is Fox News around here.
Posted by: Anonymous Mar 29, 2008 2:09:55 PM
Great, first they nag me to death for smoking, now I get nagged to death about having lights on. nag nag nag.
Posted by: nug Mar 29, 2008 2:10:45 PM
Bid deal, sign this petition : http://www.geocities.com/poi243
Posted by: vasile Mar 29, 2008 2:32:25 PM
so what have the liberals gone and done now? thought about someone other than themselves? those guys are just kerrrrazy.
Posted by: david Mar 29, 2008 2:35:37 PM
Wanna save energy? Build more nuclear power plants morons!
Posted by: Robert Mar 29, 2008 3:06:01 PM
The amount of seething hatred and flawed logic in these comments is astounding. No wonder we got the boy blunder as a president.
Posted by: Something for Nothing Mar 29, 2008 3:14:50 PM
Think Earth Hour is worth bothering over? Think paying a Global UN Carbon Tax is worth paying? Have you ever stopped for a moment and tried to look at the reasoning behind it? Like you, I bought into the Al Gore political ideology about Global Warming and CO2 emissions, but after finding a few interesting videos on Youtube, my perspective changed.
We need to understand the political motivation behind Global Warming. Watch this video and more, and try and get the other side of the argument, and don't for a second believe everything you read or see on the Mainstream Media. Because they're motivated by something... and it's usually greed. The people behind them have various ideologies that aren't always for the betterment of mankind.
Go on youtube. Watch "The Great Global Warming Swindle"
Posted by: Nathan Mar 29, 2008 3:38:26 PM
WOW and where is all this "SAVED" energey goiong to go. In a battery backup the size of China? Comon people you cant actually SAVE power that way. if anything you Waste it. Coal still needs to burn Reactors just get tuned down a little and hydro still flows. Its not Like it gets Magicly saved for use later.
Posted by: m3kt3k Mar 29, 2008 3:54:55 PM
It sounds like some people are simply scared that maybe, just maybe, acting like everything is going to be ok won't fix anything. How did the ozone hole et fixed? That's right, we took action and banned the stuff that was causing it.
This is an awareness campaign. No one is forced to turn out their lights. Just like on the one year anniversary of 9/11 no one was forced to light candles... but some of us did. Awareness that there isn't an infinite amount of energy and that maybe, just maybe, we need to conserve a bit is not a liberal or conservative argument. It is a practical argument. Anyone opposed to practicality is simply an idiot and can be ignored.
Posted by: Sean Mar 29, 2008 3:59:38 PM
m3kt3k: If that's the case, then what the hell were companies like Enron doing?
Posted by: Something for Nothing Mar 29, 2008 4:01:03 PM
What makes this even worse is that the WWF is opposed to nuclear energy and that's about the only way something like Kyoto would ever work.
Posted by: yarrrr Mar 29, 2008 4:29:23 PM
@Akrid, I think I'll go with the overwhelming majority of scientists, rather than accept your "Shit's always breaking off" hypothesis.
The Conservative Plan for the environment: Just keep using more resources every year forever. Any mention that the Earth is of finite size is just Liberal Media Lies.
Posted by: cartouche Mar 29, 2008 4:59:01 PM
Someone has already beaten Google to this a long time ago. It's called Blackle.com... started up by an Australian company called Heap Media.
Posted by: Derek Mar 29, 2008 5:20:27 PM
I'm sure that saved a lot of energy!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
Posted by: steveballmer Mar 29, 2008 5:53:12 PM
Derek: Google knows about Blackle. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-black-new-green.html They also point to a study that shows black uses more power for LCDs.
Posted by: Reikon Mar 29, 2008 6:03:35 PM
The reason it is "liberal" is because liberals have concluded that "the debate" on climate change is over. It is clear that Google's position is that our presence is significantly changing the Earth's climate. Thousands of scientists do not think this is the case. It is clear that Google has a left-of-center agenda. I say this with love of Google as a company that produces great tech, but they definitely have a political agenda.
And no I'm not a red neck from the mid west, I'm a computer science graduate student at UCSD
Posted by: A Guy Mar 29, 2008 6:06:24 PM
I think that it would have made a more profound statement if they would have made all of their services black. Gmail, reader, analytics, documents, and etc...
Posted by: steve Mar 29, 2008 6:06:29 PM
@Sean if you think "the ozone hole is fixed" you obviously haven't visited New Zealand lately. You can feel the burn after about five minutes, even in Autumn. Tourists fall asleep in the sun for an hour and get third-degree burns FFS.
As a kid I could sit at the beach all day, reapply my SPF15 twice and have a great time, no pain or peeling skin.
Now we all wear nano-particles of titanium and $600 sunnies to protect ourselves but all you truck-driving yanks are still fucking ARGUING about it!
Posted by: Dave Mar 29, 2008 6:09:54 PM
I turned my lights off, and my tv and laptop - and it was peaceful, like when the power's out or your stuck home in a snowstorm. I think next year Ill have a earth hour party, invite all my friends & family over and have a bonfire in the back yard. It gives you a reason to all stop for a moment without tv, computer, cleaning, nothing...unless like the many of you here complaining,(negativity sucks) your afraid you'll have nothing else to do. ;-)
Posted by: Sephi Mar 29, 2008 6:18:26 PM
Even if you don't agree with the concept of global warming, or think it is some lefty plot for world domination, in the scheme of things its about conserving. On the whole, humans are pretty wasteful when it comes to most things. This at least demonstrates to people that you CAN go at least an hour without all the power booming in your house. It also goes to show how you CAN organize a large number of people to stand up for something all at once (very "V for Vendetta"). At the very least you can look at it from an economical viewpoint- thats one hour of energy that wont show up on your bill.
Posted by: Keelin Mar 29, 2008 6:23:50 PM
if it saves no power do somthing that WILL!!!!!
Posted by: samantha Mar 29, 2008 7:10:00 PM
"the lights out campaign in Bangkok saved 73.34 megawatts of electricity, which would have produced 45.8 tons of carbon dioxide." That's just in Bangkok. Just imagine what we're doing worldwide. In just one hour, on just one day. Wake up people--we can have an effect!
Posted by: JMW Mar 29, 2008 7:36:58 PM
Notice how right-wingers have changed their tune. They can no longer deny the fact of global warming, so they have now changed their language to deny 'man-made' global warming and hope we don't notice. Of course, it doesn't matter HOW global warming is occurring, but whether humans can do anything about it, which, of course, we can.
Posted by: Chris j. Mar 29, 2008 8:22:16 PM
A Zen perspective on Earth Hour...
http://www.valleyzen.com/2008/03/29/valleyzen-shuts-down-for-earth-hour/
Posted by: Drue Kataoka Mar 29, 2008 9:27:39 PM
Is Earth Hour going to be an annual event like Earth Day, or was this a one time only thing?
Posted by: Murray Mar 29, 2008 9:38:56 PM
Nathan, ok...so global warming isn't caused by us. So how do we fix Peak oil? lol...Whether global warming is caused by us or not shouldn't be the issue. I think the issue should be peak oil. Whether the globe warms or it doesn't, we are still consuming oil pretty fast, we'll need alternative energy anyways, with or without global warming. I think earth hour will save a little oil. Not a lot though, earth hour is just to make people more aware of the effects of their consumption, it's not to make them stop or do something they don't want to.
Posted by: Garrett Mar 29, 2008 9:48:57 PM
i really like the Black... its soo much easier to read.. can i make it stay that way? it really doesnt light up the whole room like the white screen does.. besides... my 22"widescreen seems to look even sweeter with it blacked out....
Posted by: ray d Mar 29, 2008 9:52:49 PM
I'm calling a spade a spade on this issue. This whole man made (US made) Global Warming issue is suspect with numerous scientists calling foul against it. Also interesting to note that Gore himself has been called to the table for the scam that this is appearing to be, with his "carbon credits." He like others are profiting from this in a big time matter, and they are doing it in such a way to play on peoples' guilt of being "wasteful." They make us feel guilty about wasting, and using energy, and call us pigs for that. Then they turn around and offer stupid programs called "carbon credits" to supposedly off-set our wasteful usages. In turn disguising it to look like the feel good message of the century, when in fact they are looking for a profit. While he himself continues to live like a king in his mansion. Gore is nothing more the PoS for his "contributions" that are now being brought forth to a court of law. Instead of buying the crap that this idiot and the drive-by media offers, maybe some of you would do yourself justice and recall some basics of your old science classes about solar activity, and weather patterns of this earth. As for those of you are "doing my part for mother earth" enjoy what those compact fluorescents do to your water with the mercury in them. Or what they expect you to do when one said bulb breaks.
Posted by: Spade Mar 29, 2008 9:52:51 PM
Call me stupid, but I don't see how conserving resources makes Al Gore rich.
Posted by: Murray Mar 29, 2008 10:17:08 PM
Wow... I am often shocked at the misinformation that circulates about climate change. I have studied the physics of climate change, and I've talked with scientists who are leaders in researching the climate system. Climate change is being observed, and it is very likely due to human activities. Yes, climate variability does happen on natural cycles, BUT that doesn't mean humans can't also cause climate change!
There are a few scientists who disagree, but I dispute the claim that there are "thousands". There is a small chance that we are wrong about climate change, but that does not mean we should not try to prevent major impacts on food, water supply, et cetera. That is a gamble I don't think we can afford to make. Especially since reducing energy/oil use also has many positive side effects, regardless of whether climate change is happening at all. We can reduce pollution, end dependence on foreign oil, and save money.
I for one did turn off my lights, as a gesture to raise awareness. It certainly didn't do me any harm, and I took some time to reflect on my energy consumption.
Posted by: Laura Mar 29, 2008 11:06:59 PM
really, what does one hour prove? why can't this be done through all hours of the night (and day for that matter)? why are the responsible allowed only one hour of twenty four? too few people will be aware of the earth "hour". i say we make this a nightly occurrence which will only then spread awareness, even if it's merely through curiosity.
Posted by: pisanorama Mar 30, 2008 2:52:27 AM
A comedian at the laugh factory said it best, "stupid people are clever and continually procreating." It is clear by some of these posts that the stupid and/or bigots of the world are multiplying. Think of the earth as a person and place humanity in a category that best fits the group based on observation. We would more than likely fit into the category of a parasitic organism or flesh eating virus. We take without regard for our host(earth). Practically speaking... How long do you think our ever expanding and exponentially consuming populace will survive on a "ignorance is bliss" ideal?
Posted by: Nic Mar 30, 2008 3:15:40 AM
all that is vital and leisurely in life is ultimately made possible by human-independent systems whether you believe it or not. this entire issue goes well beyond monetary or material concerns. our ignorant and wasteful lifestyle is only perpetuating the deterioration of said life-sustaining systems to the extent that their destruction (and hence that of most living organisms, including humans) is nearly inevitable. please please think about your personal and professional principles and practices and their impact on our lifeblood before dismissing other's point of view.
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