Google Israel is sporting an all black theme today, in support of Earth Hour’s efforts to raise awareness around energy conservation. From the page telling confused Israeli’s what’s going on:
Google users in Israel will notice today that we “turned the lights out” on the Google.co.il homepage as a gesture to raise awareness of a worldwide energy conservation effort called Earth Hour.
On Thursday, March 27, 2008, Earth Hour invites people in Israel to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm.
Given our company’s commitment to environmental awareness and energy efficiency, we strongly support the Earth Hour campaign, and have darkened our homepage today to help spread awareness of what we hope will be a highly successful global event.
Google has a long history of caring about all things green.
Of course, this begs the question as to whether or not Google should change their site permanently to black to save display power (see blackle). Google looked into it, and said the opposite is true: “displaying black may actually increase energy usage.”
I won’t even bring up the irony that Google, according to the study they cited, is actually increasing energy usage in Israel by having a black home page. The point is, people, they care.
Update: Earth Hour in San Francsico (and everywhere else except Israel) is March 29 at 8 pm. It’s important that everyone turn off their lights then. We’ll need that extra power if Google goes black here in the U.S., too.
Great, saves a lot of energy that way!
Is it true that a black background saves energy?
there is a site that is a proxy mirror of google that is all black that is marketed as being energy efficient
As a electronic engineer (started with TVs) I would expect there to be a fairly significant degree of saving from all black screens. As a side note on TVs when they are dieing you can turn up the brightness on the tube (via the LOPTR) and they start having a real fit. All the components making rude noises.
Nifty, but why only in Israel? They could have geo-targeted every participating region… or, far better, made a global splash since this is a worldwide awareness effort.
The Earth hour is not on March 27th (today). It’s on March 29th.
The original page in Hebrew has the date right, on March 29th
Oops, strike that, that was last years date. I think, my hebrew is kinda rusty
I recent study shows that ironically, green is the most efficient color.
No offense but… did the first three commenters actually read Mike’s entire article? :-/
Oh and yes, I also believe it’s on March 29th.
@Motordehidrogeno – it’s actually on different days in different places, says their site. Israel is today.
actually, strike that. It’s on the 29th everywhere except in Israel:
“Tel-Aviv will be the lead city in Israel participating in Earth Hour and will be the kick off city world wide as we will be turning off lights on Thursday March 27, between 20:00-21:00 due to the Jewish Sabbath.”
A black screen might save energy on a CRT or plasma display, but not on most LCDs, which have their backlights on at all times and use liquid crystals to open or close pixels. All a black screen does is close the pixels and block the light from the backlight – the most power consuming part of an LCD monitor or TV.
A few new LCDs are able to dynamically contorl the amount of light coming from their backlights, but this is done more to increase contrast ratio than to save energy.
LOL!
Blackle did this a year or two ago and got similar criticism (due to the irony of black consuming more power). They’re still going though:
http://www.blackle.com/
Don’t most computer tower use 3 to 4 times the energy as the monitors. I’m glad Google is “Globally Aware”. But I think unplugging your computer would save more energy than turning out your lights.
It’s true — saves a lot of energy that way.
I find it ironic that during the next few days we are observing Earth Hour, Google’s Solar Panel Project seems to have had a glitch. http://www.goog...olarpanels/home
Larry and Sergey would better scrap their 767 instead of making such PR-jokes.
There’s an old Dilbert cartoon where Dilbert’s pointy haired boss tells an employee to turn off boldface formatting because it is sucking too much electricity. Who knew the pointy haired boss was actually correct?
Pass – no, it’s ok. It’s a solar powered 767. And they’re going to paint it black.
I dare say Google won’t be switching their servers off for an hour though.
@Michael Arrington Ok, you are right. I haven´t read it.
Black background may (blackle)/maynot(Google) help in reducing PC energy consumption, but definately create long term eye problem… Fonts (in any color) on black background is difficult to read compared to fonts on white background color. And that may be the reason why all the editors are with white background by default. Check the search reasult in Google Vs. Blackle..you caneasily findout which one is more readable and creating less pain in eyes while reading.
While it’s all good fun to make these “Isn’t it ironic” -jokes about the campaign, it’s good to remember what it’s for. The point is not to save the world by saving energy for an hour, the campaign is about raising awareness. And the black screen works well for that.
The minute direct effects of all black screens in the world (or Israel) will be offset many times over if it gets people to start turning off unnecessary lights on a regular basis.
While you of course should live as you preach, it would not be fair to forbid environmental campaigns for using any energy while trying to get people to understand they need to take this seriously and act now.
@20 — http://www.blackle.com illustration is misleading… could be much better even with a black background…
r.e.s.p.e.c.t. for google Israel.
do less – save more
In all honesty, it’s a bit symptomatic of the environmental movement. “We don’t really know if this actually helps the environment, but let’s do it anyway and make ourselves feel righteous – if it turns out the science is wrong after all, just brush it aside and say ‘at least we raised awareness’”. See also: biofuels.
We in Nepal are the best country when it comes to energy conservation.
We turn our electricty off 7 hours a day ! (fine print: the electricity providers have to cut electricity off 7 hours a day cause they don’t have enough to run always).
we are master conservationists (by force).
self congratulations…
right now they need to change to water cooling in thier datacentres. aircooling uses something like 60% more energy.
Sometimes do you wonder if they REALLY care of if it’s just for “show” – like the symantics where the founders take $1 salaries?
Why not take BIG salaries and DONATE 100% of them (again, that could be argued for show since Google already donates so much).
I guess maybe I’m just pessimistic or too skeptical of “big brother”
Mystery CEO
Welldone Michael, you are one of the few people who actually critizes Google! or as the Mystery CEO says: “The Big Brother”
I heard that the citizens in Iraq decided to take it one step further and keep their electricity off for over 15 hours a day, oh wait, that wasnt by choice. Nevermind.
Why today in Israel?
The 29th of March is a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, and since Israel is a ‘Jewish State’ most of the country should be already doing a lights out for the weekend (electricity use on the sabbath is restricted).
Does anyone know if Israelis have more LCD or CRT monitors? Statistics ‘n’ Shit, you know?
Blackle = Genius Idea
The reason it is in Israel today is because on saturdays, according to the jewish customs, many people do not use electricity any way, so the y assumed the impact would be greater on a weekday.
No point telling people to shut the lights when the lights are off …
Google is weird sometimes…
They have a spooky UFO pages policy…
Liar ?
It’s not ironic, they point out the goal is to “raise awareness,” not conserve energy. And the difference between black and white is negligible compared to people running lights, A/C, having their computer on, etc…
@27: the reason they take $1 salaries not because it looks good, but because they pay less in taxes.
Scary looking.
Harry “uses the same energy no matter what he is doing – coke kills people” Wang
Here’s why I think the entire idea is just a way for lazy people to feel all warm and fuzzy: Why would you ask people to turn off lights at a time of day when A) Electric consumption is lower anyway, and B) They actually need them?
Saturday evening ensures that there will be no corporate participation.
I wonder how many people in the US will shut off their lights, then get into their SUVs and drive to a movie.
Sure, I can turn off a couple of lights – yet the furnace is still on. An idea I posted on a different site would be for each region to promote changing thermostat settings on two weeks a year – turn the temp up 2 degrees in the hottest season and down 2 degrees in the coolest season.
This makes a lot more sense as people can adapt more easily to the change. Turning off lights in the dark is just plain dumb.
Yes, it is about raising awareness, but my idea above does that as well. Here’s another: Work to get some large home improvement chains to offer coupons for CFLs once a year. If they lowered their advertising spending elsewhere, they could do this easily.
I think it’s great that Google is supporting this important issue with it’s stark black background. It’s like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black.
Is it just me, or is Google sending another message? From time to time, Israel shuts off power to the Palestine-controlled areas in retaliation to bombings, etc. If this isn’t the case, then why would Israel be the only country targeted? Did this cross any of your minds as well?
people are kinda getting it wrong: the people who do observe the shabat leave their lights on all day because they’re allowed to have the lights on if they turned it off before shabat. so if you wanted to tell them to turn it off for a hour-they couldnt. its not cuz they allready have the lights turned off.
Now that is digging deep for a meaning.
Thanks Michael for pointing out the stupidity and arrogance of Google and (my words here) of the environmentalists.
This is a pointless excercise. And for those who say it “raises awareness,” it raises awareness of what? The idea that we should spurn civilization and return to the trees?
Prosperity does not “hurt the planet.” It only hurts those who have agendas to restrict freedom.
The irony is they are doing this while they massacre Palestinian children. Bravo!
Oh Please Zizi. The only reason more Palestinian children are killed is because Hamas intentially fires rockets from school grounds and hides behind children.
Israeli soldiers stand in front of women and children and try to protect them.
http://www.anti...by-vogn-plo.gif
For every lightbulb you guys turn off, I will turn on three.
You’ve all misunderstood this black google thing.
Each pixel on the google israel homepage represents 1 Palestinian that’s been killed, displaced, or otherwise violated as a result of Israel creating a ‘country’ in the middle of other people’s lands.
Thanks to google for bringing forward this injustice.
Next I expect Google China’s website to go all black as well, where each pixel will represent 1 dead tibetan or political prisoner who’s been oppressed by the great party.
@schleifnet — True, but if they did it on the 29th then they could market it as “Black Sabbath.” Perhaps some trademark issues, though…
It’s on.
Google has been riding a wave. I bet their Marketing guys sit around playing WOW.
Now let’s see if they can innovate and create value for shareholders.
That smirk will be gone soon.
I always find it laughable when people call those showing sympathy for the palestinian people and the terrorism that they face at the hands of a foreign state as “anti semetic”. You do realise that the palestinians are semites too? An anti semite would be calling for the death of both sides!
Personally, I see both sides are guilty of keeping the blood flowing with their actions and nothing will change any time soon. The palestinians need to accept that israel have a right to exist and the israelis need to stop stealing the palestinians water and not shell and bulldoze their settlements!
Anyway, I did a video about blackle last year – the use of a black screen with LCD’s is mixed even within the LCD market, since smaller screens than 22″ will consume more power when displaying black and those above will consume less.
http://www.yout...h?v=tS6hR6up1Vs
There’s one way to save energy.. turn shit off when you’re finished with them!
This is all rubbish
If you really want to save energy, why don’t you close your bloody disco clubs, dirty bars and lights of your leader’s palaces. This will actually save energy rather than irritationg viewer’s eyes because of stupid black google page
Earth is already becoming black due to your sins. Try to turn it to green if you can