By Susie Davidson

Advocate Correspondent

This Thursday, between 7 and 10 p.m., you may look around and worry

that California's troubles have spread eastward.

Not yet, anyway. Roll Your Own Blackout, a national event designed

to make a stand against President Bush's energy policy and a strong

statement for conservation, has spread like wildfire across the net.

Jay Leno has just announced that his June 21 Tonight show will be

candlelit. Locally, the JCRC's program the Coalition on the

Environment and Jewish Life, Boston Chapter, has released a message

of support, asking local Jews to join in this effort.

The original idea was conceived by Silicon Valley engineer David

Aragon; the initial email was composed by Monica Rex, a Los Angeles

artist. The idea has met with great support from its wide audience

of recipients, and has spread far and wide. The May 19 Seattle Times

reports that the message has been received from China and has also

been going around Europe.

Why do other countries care? Their economy, certainly, is tied to

ours, as is the air we breathe, the fish in our oceans, consequences

of oil spills, energy accidents etc. Since the U.S. pulled out of

Kyoto, remaining signatory nations have sat up and taken a greater,

often critical (as was in evidence in Europe this past week) interest

in our behavior. Their sources of oil are the same as ours, and

price and stability are shared factors.

Certainly for Jews, the issue of continued dependence on Arab oil has

implications for our people all over the world.

People, quite simply, are asked to turn off lights and appliances (as

many as can safely be done without) between 7 and 10 p.m. in their

time zones. As this blackout "rolls" across the planet, the result,

aside from darkened houses and precooked meals, will be a lower

demand figure on nationwide utility bills (which may be many hundreds

of watts). It will comprehensively signify a vote of "no

confidence" in the current D.C. energy policies.

Since it's still light out at that time, it should not be too

difficult. And, in an aspect many Shabbat-observant Jews might well

relate to, it will cause many people to slow down and spend time with

family without electrical distractions and fast-paced usual living.

Who knows - it could be most enjoyable, and a powerful statement as

well.

No particular group is behind this event; its wide endorsements

portray a grand multilateral scenario of plain folks who are

concerned about energy gluttony in this country, and the actions of

Bush's administration to date on the growing problems our world faces

with regard to finite resources.

Obviously, this is a risk-free, totally legal way to take a major

stand. Governmental policies in current use affect far more than

potential industry price gouging (now coming into investigation under

the revamped Senate). Drilling in wildlife refuges, excessive

numbers of SUV's on our roads, possible building of new power plants

and revitalizing of nuclear energy are of concern to many citizens.

Finally, this is a potentially highly effective protest which does

not ask for money, but actually saves it for the participant.