Make a difference and support the global campaign: Earth Hour tomorrow (Saturday, 29 March 2014).
Millions of people around the world have switched off their lights for Earth Hour as a symbolic gesture to show their commitment to taking positive actions for our planet. Earth Hour is a campaign for anyone who wants to share a commitment to make this planet better.
This event is held worldwide towards the end of March annually; encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. The worldwide movement for the planet was conceptualised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour first started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when 2.2 million households turned off their lights for one hour to make a stand against climate change. Since then it has grown with more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide participating in this one-hour event annually.
Experts around the world believe that excessive energy consumption is one of the primary causes of global warming that is being experienced around the world. Thus, by switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people not only aim to conserve energy but also bring awareness about the deteriorating environment around us.
Here are 10 ways to observe Earth Hour and make a bigger difference in the environment:
1. Unplug your electronics: Earth Hour is not just about turning off lights in your home, it is also about energy conservation.
2. Turn off the television: The television uses energy, so turn it off for the hour and discover the art of communication and reading again.
3. Turn off the computers: Computers draw power and if you are not using them, turn them off for that hour to help conserve energy.
4. Turn off the heat or air conditioning: Earth Hour, as already mentioned, is about energy conservation. Heating and cooling a home is the third largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world, so turn off the air conditioning or heating during Earth Hour.
5. Don’t drive: By driving your car during Earth Hour, you are negating the very carbon dioxide emissions that you are reducing back home with the lights off, so avoid it, at least for that hour.
6. Install solar panels: Solar energy is free, plentiful and effective. The sun releases more energy in a year than our civilisation could use in a thousand years. Putting a solar panel in, while expensive at first, will save you money in the long run. If you can’t put in a solar panel, they you could just install some solar lights outside in the yard rather than using electric lights to illuminate the backyard.
7. Unplug the chargers: During Earth Hour unplug the chargers for your cell phones. Even if your cell phone is charged, the charger is still drawing power. If you just have the charger connected to the wall with no cell phone attached, it is also still using energy.
8. Plant a tree: This is one of the easiest and best things you can do for your environment. The planting of a tree removes carbon dioxide from the air and replaces it with oxygen.
9. Create an energy conservation schedule: With your family during Earth Hour, try and create a schedule that will allow you to reduce energy. Scheduling a cold supper, allocating one hour a week to having everything off, can help you reduce your carbon footprint.
10. Gather up your recycling: During Earth Hour, help conserve energy by gathering up everything that can be recycled so you can take it to the recycle depot the next day. Recycling saves thousands of tons of carbon dioxide every day, so it is important that we all recycle whatever we can to help the planet.
In your own home environment, use common sense with respect to being safe. Keep small night lights on for basic safety. Make sure you have alternative light sources handy before Earth Hour starts, like torches or flashlights. That way, you have a light source close at hand and you can still respect the spirit of Earth Hour and keep you and your family safe.
For more information regarding Earth Hour, go to www.earthhour.org.za
– Waheeda Peters
