A lot has already been said about the upcoming Earth Hour initiative but let me throw my lot in and show my support for this event which is coming up in only a few short days.
In South Africa for Earth Hour we will be turning off our lights from 20h30-21h30 local-time on Saturday 28th March 2009. Your should check out http://www.earthhour.org for the latest news and when your city or town will be taking part and what role you can play. Whilst it is not expected that earth’s carbon footprint will be dramatically reduced during Earth Hour it is more the symbolic significance that will raise awareness about climate change and how our planet is being affected regardless of what many climate change doubters may say.
Climate change is unfortunately something that is happening now and if it’s not already affecting you in some way it most certainly will affect your or your children in the near future. The potential for climate change to have huge catastrophic consequences is not to be under-estimated. Although books like Six Degrees – Our Future on a Hotter Planet may be deemed to be sensationalist they give a clear insight as to the significance of just a mere 2°C climate change. Some scientists are predicting that we have already reached the tipping point that indicates a 2°C change is on the horizon and there is little that can be done about it right now. One must remember that the global climate has taken a long while to respond to increased atmospheric carbon and will consequently take a long while to respond to any corresponding decrease before equilibrium is re-established.
Where exactly those decreases will come from still remains to be seen? Developing economies such as China, India and even South Africa are already consuming huge quantities of coal and will continue to do so in an escalating fashion as they attempt to grow their economies in staggering proportions. Therefore you might ask what is the significance of little old me switching my lights off for one hour on Saturday evening? Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth. Simply leaving your lights on is a vote for Global Warming and an a show of apathy for the well-being of your children and grand-children. The outcome of Earth Hour will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009 and will hopefully make some global leaders sit up and take action against global warming. By standing together and voting we can show intent and resolve. As always your vote does count.
The Earth Hour initiative has certainly sparked the interest of many citizens and governments worldwide and it should be really interesting to see if they reach their target of 1 billion people in more than 1000 cities around the world. More importantly for me however is the involvement of government, business and NGO’s as it is through their actions and policy that we can hope to turn around the phenomenon of global warming. Without significant policy changes and legislation our rampant raping of the planet will continue on. China produces more than 35% of the worlds coal in huge quantities to fuel their growing economy. South Africa has plans to start up 4 new coal powered power-plants in 2009 onwards in an attempt to resolve our energy crises. While it is difficult to rationalise the desire to grow economies and improve the livelihood of all it must be balanced with a healthy reality check as to where this incessant fossil-fuel use is taking us in the future?
But don’t let it stop there. I know that Earth Hour is a simple gesture and you will experience a sense of camaraderie which will hopefully instill a desire to do more. Spend the hour with some candle-light and a glass of wine and make a check-list as to how you personally can reduce your energy consumption? Is your geyser fitted with a timer switch? Do you have a warming blanket on your geyser to reduce heat-loss? Have you perhaps considered fitting solar panels instead? What about your electrical appliances – do they stay on all day every day. TV’s and Microwaves consume small but gradually significant power even when switched off – pull the plug out. Teach your children about energy and how to conserve it’s use as they will utlimately become the biggest sufferers in a warming climate. Consider your water use as well especially for us in South Africa where it is predicted we will face significant drought during global warming. Check for leaking taps, avoid over irrigation and general water wastage.
Stand up and be counted. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business and every community. Are you doing your part?
