I partook, but I've been groaning and griping about earth hour since I first heard about it. I think it's really cool that some of the world's most famous buildings were dark and whatnot, but as much as this event is supposed to raise consciousness, I just don't see it that way. It's a piddly little step that most people who participate in it turn around and go back to "normal" life after the hour's over. Then there are the people who just declare it as stupid and don't stop to think at all. I have roommates with exactly these sentiments and have seen how other people act towards these "Earth periods of time". Obviously my roommate's argument of "This is stupid" had no merit as he had no supporting argument (he couldn't/didn't even make the argument that he does this kind of stuff in his daily life, just deemed it "stupid" to participate in earth hour because it changes nothing) and basically it seemed as though the sanctioned hour just polarized him against it. And, if you look at the news, there was at least one politician with this same bent (side note, did anyone see Sarah Palin's speech in Nevada? Holy shit, you wanna talk about scary, empty-worded speeches, watch it. I'm terrified if she's running for president, I know there's an infinitesimal chance she gets elected, but if she does...:shock: :x )
I don't think it's a bad thing, I just think it's a misguided expenditure of human energy. What about if instead of focusing all the energy/money/time that went into this the organizers and participants had launched an awareness campaign to address the root causes that make such an earth hour necessary? I mean, I'm not suggesting it will revolutionize the world, but an earth hour is not connected to anything. There are people, however, who are merely ignorant of some of the ways the world works and if you show them the little things they can do, it would be possible to affect not only deeper change, but potentially more long-lasting, habitual change in the way people carry on their daily lives. Obviously we have a long way to go, and an earth hour only scratches the very tip, but what about at least following it up with an earth week? Do something so that it's not an isolated event. Do something to make people tie it into their daily routine in their minds. This clear separation of earth hour is really self defeating, imo. It creates just enough space between earth hour and daily life, as well as any sort of other conservation awareness to make the hour itself almost maddening (mainly in the case of those individuals who view this hour as "enough" ) daiyenu (sorry jews, i just couldn't resist!).
Sorry for the rant, I support earth hour, I just feel that at this stage in the game, this is nowhere near what a "small" awareness event should be. And, clearly, with all the social networking stuff, these things are relatively easy to set up and spread out, so why not aim big? I can only hope that in the future there will be a more dramatic call for public awareness.
) , we have to always try to save energy and not waste 
