The Vocal website probably doesn’t figure large in Spectator readers’ minds.

Indeed, it doesn’t figure large at all.

It’s not only Spectator types that appear turned off by its promise to be “action-orientated, social first and radically positive, empowering young people to be vocal in telling stories and promoting ideas on the best ways to change the world”.

Its web rankings are subterranean despite (or perhaps in a sign of things to come) that it’s a Fairfax outlet.

Still, the Fairfax connection makes its moanings about Earth Hour particularly pertinent, given that the company has done its best to shove the global gloom-fest down our throats for the past decade as one of its major sponsors.

For Earth House, according to The Vocal’s earnest young thing Cameron Nicholls, actually harms our mother Gaia. He writes:

On March 25, 1 in 4 Australians and approximately 1 billion people around the world will switch off their lights and scour the house for candles for Earth Hour.

But while it may seem like a billion people switching off for an hour around the world would make a huge dent in emissions for the day, the awkward reality is that Earth Hour doesn’t really help the planet. In fact, it might even raise emissions…

Even though there is a sudden decrease in electricity, this doesn’t actually mean there’s any less energy being pumped into the grid and therefore there are no reduction of emissions. Plus, any reduction in demand for electricity would be offset by the energy needed to fire back up the coal or gas stations to restore electricity supplies once the hour is over…

Others have argued that burning candles is worse for the environment than using a light bulb …

The point is, even if Earth Hour does help cut emissions – it is negligible.

It was a little boy, of course, who pointed out that the emperor was naked.

It’s ironic, really, that one of Fairfax’s young’uns has exposed all the bleatings in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age about Earth Hour as nothing but hot air.

Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.