Earth Hour: Will your lights be off?

Posted on March 28, 2008
Filed Under Revolution |

Created by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth House first took place in Syndney, Australia on March 31, 2007. This year, millions all around the world will be participating. Join them tomorrow, March 29, from 8-9pm to take a stand against global warming.

I’ve seen Facebook groups, television interviews and even articles on my city’s local website promoting the event. Then, there’s all the media attention that global warming has been given in recent years. It’s created a buzz and I don’t doubt that most of us have heard all about it already.

The task seems simple enough: turn off your lights for an hour. I can do that. My question: what will we be accomplishing for the long term?

One interview about Earth Hour stuck out to me in particular as one of the people interviewed was enthusiastic about how we all need to play our small part in countering global warming and other environmental issues. For some of us, she said, Earth Hour will be our part. Something about that made me uncomfortable. Are we going to turn out lights off for an hour tomorrow evening and think we’ve done enough? Is that how we see social justice and environmental action in general?

Maybe it’s the part of me that believes strongly in sustainable development and in empowering people to truly make a different in their lives, but while this is an absolutely great idea I don’t think it’s enough. I feel the same way about making donations to charity; we’re making a great difference with our support but we need to change our lifestyles too.

I love some of the suggestions on Earth Hour’s website for reducing energy consumption at home, at work and at school; they’re practical and most of them don’t take that much of a sacrifice. I hope we’ll follow them. I hope I’ll follow them. I hope I won’t turn my lights right back on at 9pm on Saturday and forget why they were off in the first place. I hope we won’t see that this small part, although valuable, is enough.

Visit www.earthhour.org for more information on tomorrow’s event and on how you can have “Earth Hour Every Day.”

Until next time…