KUALA LUMPUR - Fundamentally, Earth Hour is the one hour in the year dedicated to drawing world’s attention to the dire need for the human race to learn to live in harmony with our environment.
In the long evolution of Homo sapiens we have learned how to use the resources which our planet offers to our own advantage, but, increasingly, to the detriment and destruction of our natural environment in all its forms.
This has only been recognised as a real threat to the long term future of our environment relatively recently.
Now there is a general consensus among the scientific community that we are, in the long term outfall of the 18th century industrial revolution, growing populations, and rising standards of living, changing our environment irrevocably. And that, for our own long term future, action to reverse this situation is essential.
Looking back for a moment, as you know Earth Hour was heralded in 2007, by the token gesture of some 2 million people in Sydney simultaneously turning off all non-essential lighting for an hour in the evening, to draw universal attention to the need for action on ‘climate change’.
Last year, some 156 nations took part with an estimated one billion people showing they recognized the need for action by turning off all non-essential lighting in their homes from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, and public authorities switching off lighting illuminating iconic buildings and landmarks, one being the Niagara Falls.
The World Wildlife Fund and the nations of the earth have made Earth Hour 2011 even more meaningful by opening a ‘billion acts of green’ campaign in the form of ‘Personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably’.
Looking beyond mere tokenism or ‘feel-good’ aspects of the gesture of turning off none essential lighting for an hour, this en masse action makes it clear to the leaders of the nations of this world that the public do expect action not only at the individual level, but also at the national and international levels to find satisfactory and effective solutions to possibly the greatest threat to our collective future.
And not only our collective future but that of the flora and fauna on this earth, so much of which has been and is being sacrificed to the relentless ever growing demands of our species.
Last night all of us who observed Earth Hour turned off all non-essential lighting for one hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm to show that we care.
And to echo that caring, I do hope all those in charge of non essential flood lighting and illumination of public and commercial buildings and venues will follow suit.
It may be a good idea to restrict all forms of flood lighting and illumination to buildings on important festive occasions only.
That would be the universal public sector’s significant contribution to fight against climate change.
0 comments