One of the worlds biggest environmental manifestations are due to take place tomorrow. Earth Hour. To turn all the lights of for 60 minutes isn’t a big deal really. Even if every lamp on the planet was turned of for one hour we wouldn’t save the climate. And not every light will be turned of, after all we can’t shut of civilization. However Earth Hour is a very powerful symbol. A Symbol of our will to do something about climate change.
Global warming and climate change are one of the biggest threats to us right now. The world is in danger. Maybe not today or tomorrow but in a few years the catastrophe may happen. Everybody will have to pitch in and change for us to mitigate the damages, especially as the worlds population is growing at a rapid pace and thus making it even more difficult to turn the trend. Symbols like Earth Hour are needed to inspire that change. Or as Ban Ki-moon, the UN general secretary put it;
Will you join in and turn of the lights for 60 minutes? Of course you will, this is something really easy after all. Will you take some other actions to save the climate? Probably not. Most people won’t, and that’s really sad. If taken in baby steps, changing to a more sustainable, greener if you will, lifestyle isn’t that difficult. Big changes, like insulating the house and fixing the heater or installing solar panels or getting a new green car is one thing. These are major changes. But small things, like buying locally produced food and products, not buying bottled water, grow some vegetables (possible in an apartment too, you just need to be smart about it), have a compost and start to recycle are easy and can even save money for you. Not only that but they give you a sense of accomplishment as well. Another route is to reduce the use of the car in favor for active zero emission or public transportation, another easy change.
For more people to make these choices there have to be awareness campaigns. And here Earth Hour really shines (that doesn’t sound right…). The more people that participate the stronger the awareness becomes. In other words, if you care about making other people see that there are those who are aware of the catastrophe that is climate change AND willing to go the extra mile to do something about it, join in. If you just worry about the prospect of climate change, join in. Show that you care.
I will turn of every light in my house tomorrow. Not because it will save the world but because I care and support this action against climate change. I am going to use these 60 minutes to help the see world the light. I am just one. But many will do the same. Will you be one of them?
/
Fredrik
