Good idea to keep us in the dark

IT used to be one of the life’s simple, taken-for-granted pleasures to stand outside in the blackness of night and just gaze at the star-speckled heavens.

But, for many people this experience is no longer possible, though we had a brief glimpse of what things used to be like during Earth Hour, the other Saturday night, when some cities, towns and even households around the globe turned off their lights for an hour.

The gesture could have saved about 15% of energy normally used on a Saturday night, according to estimates. Excess lighting is believed to be responsible for approximately two million barrels of oil per day.