MNN - Mother Nature Network

 

Scared of the dark? Earth Hour 2009 (March 28, 8:30 to 9:30 pm) may prompt 60 minutes of complete and utter terror for some. However, this shouldn’t discourage folks from turning off their lights in a massive effort to take a bite out of global warming. There are easy, safe ways to illuminate your home as everyone around the world flips the switch. After all, global warming is much scarier than things that go bump in the night (and more painful than bumping and crashing into things during the night).

 

Real candlelight is tres romantique but avoid fire hazards and waxy messes by perusing these flameless alternatives that will keep your home semi-lit during the big event. 

 

 

I personally recommend this handcrafted porcelain miniature campfire from designer David Weeks for Kikkerland. Place a LED tea light inside, and you have a cozy little campfire glow for Earth Hour without the smoke and ash. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those who prefer their fires to be contained, David Weeks’ porcelain barrel is a great choice. Like his campfire, the barrel provides hours of illumination provided by a LED tea light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I keep a pair of these long-lasting faux candles on my bedside table. When a windstorm whipped through my neighborhood the other week, I was sure glad to have ‘em. The LED Smart Candles mimics the flicker of a real flame but without the scent, heat and drippy wax. I’ve tricked guests into thinking they’re the real thing.

 

 

 

 

Looking for waxy realism? I’ve never tried these LED-powered wax candles myself but by just looking at the photos, I’m fooled. The vanilla-scented candles — complete with wax drippings — contain a long-lasting, battery-operated LED light instead of a wick. Ideal for those who want the look of real candles but not the open flame.

 

 

 

 

These wax candles will have you thinking “blow on, blow off” not “wax on, wax off.” With one little puff at the faux flame, the candle with turn on and off. You can choose your color, too, blue or realistic yellow. The candles will “burn” for about 300 hours using a single set of batteries.

 

 

 

 

 

A simple arrangement of tea lights is a great way to illuminate a dinner table, bathroom, or another part of your home requiring a romantic, ambient glow. But you have to consider that you'll have a dozen open flames burning all it once. These safe, unscented traditional tea lights serve the same purpose but with the gentle flickr of an LED light.

 

 

 

 

Every since I laid eyes on SUCK UK's 3 Guns Table Vase, I've been head over heels for this cheeky Brit design house. The Sun Jar is a simple (okay, not so simple) sunlight-collecting Mason jar. The sunlight is collecting by a solar chip that charges a nicad battery and when darkness falls, three LED lamps automatically cast a gentle glow. Water- and weather-proof, the Sun Jar can be placed indoors or out.