Warmies To Ban Candles Next?

Did you remember to do your part for Warrmie phony symbolism during Earth Hour on March 31 and turn out your lights for an hour?

I hope not -- especially if you replaced that nasty, disgusting light bulb with a natural, cozy candle. Bjorn Lomborg points out what a bad idea that would be:

Ironically, the lights-out campaign also implies much greater energy inefficiency and dramatically higher levels of air pollution. When asked to extinguish electric lights, most people around the world would turn to candlelight instead. Candles are cozy and seem oh-so-natural. Yet, when measured by the light they generate, candles are almost 100 times less efficient than incandescent light bulbs, and more than 300 times less efficient than fluorescent lights.

Moreover, candles create massive amounts of highly damaging indoor particulate air pollution, which in the United States is estimated to kill more than a 100,000 people each year. Candles can easily create indoor air pollution that is 10-100 times the level of outdoor air pollution caused by cars, industry, and electricity production. Measured against the relative decrease in air pollution from the reduced fossil fuel energy production, candles increase health-damaging air pollution 1,000-10,000-fold. (Source)

To quote our old friend Kermit, it's not easy being green.