Apparently Earth Hour is held on the last Saturday of March every year where people switch off their lights and electrical appliances at 8.30 pm local time to save electricity and thereby reduce greenhouse gases. In other parts of the world it is a serious matter but for Indians it is a joke. Because we already have blackouts, known euphemistically as " load shedding ," for hours on end without any warning. Any idiot in the company supplying electricity, usually under state government control, can switch off power at whim and phones are taken off the cradle so that consumers do not disturb reception fellows with repeated calls wanting to know when power supply will return. China has been building one power station every week for the last few years. Damage to Japan's power plants have become international cause for concern and is being discussed on major international news channels. But here in India we are supposed to be grateful for every hour we receive electricity. In some states such as UP power cuts can continue for 20 hours a day yet the Chief Minister cancelled the building of a plant, which would have supplied 4000 megawatts, because the businessman building it was close to the previous Chief Minister. Yet criminal politicians and thieving civil servants get preferential supply of electricity so that air conditioners can be on 24/7. Already we are being warned that there will be massive shortfalls this summer because coal production has not been as predicted. The idea is to keep the people so harassed because of lack of essential services that they will be too busy trying to survive to question the scum. Incredible India.