Friday, March 28th, 2008
This Saturday, people around the world will be turning off their lights for an hour between 8 and 9pm. It’s called Earth Hour, and it’s an event started in Sydney last year to raise awareness of the things anyone can do to help battle climate change. I joined in last year, lighting some candles and chilling out for a while, and I’ll be doing it again this year. Perth has joined in this year too (news.com.au, via Wilma at O2WA).
As always, these sorts of events attract some criticism. Some people reckon that turning off lights for an hour is a drop in the ocean of what needs to be done. But I think it’s a drop in the ocean we didn’t have before, and if hundreds of thousands of people join in (over 200,000 have signed up at last count), then all those drops add up to a lot. Individual action doesn’t look like much by itself; but what is community action except lots of individuals doing the same thing together?
You can sign up for Earth Hour at the website (not essential, just nice to do). Then just switch off at 8pm on Saturday. Take a bubblebath, or tell ghost stories, take your pets for a summer night’s walk… whatever you like. Afterwards, check in at the website to see more ways you can save energy in your home, at work and at school.