I participate in Earth Hour, because to me it's a symbolic gesture of promising to change. When I first participated, it was because I wanted to change my energy-wasting ways.

This year we went out and bought new LED Christmas lights, which use tons less energy, to deck out our tree and front porch with (and they only stay on for a few hours, pretty much as long as the porch light stays on, as they're connected). There's a place around here that recycles the old lights, so we brought them there.

All the lights in the house have been switched for lower-energy bulbs. When our washer died we bought an HE front loader that uses way less water. We have two composters in the back yard and recycle far more than we ever throw out.

Earth Hour is good... but make every day count, as well!