31.3.10

Earth Hour 2010: Lights Out around the World

Earth Hour 2010:Thoughts and photos on Earth Hour 2010

“The ultimate security is your understanding of reality.” H. Stanley Judd





On Saturday, March 27, between the hours of 8:30-9:30pm, somewhere around the world, people turned off their lights in honor of the global effort to highlight energy and environmental concerns. The goal was to make millions more people aware of the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, better manage our energy resources and combat climatic changes.



Organized this year by the World Wildlife Fund, the 4th annual observation of Earth Hour was celebrated across the globe and reminded me of the power of the collective to enact change. The positive efforts of concerned citizens worldwide was a call to action that resonated with millions across continents who turned their lights off or gathered in cities to watch the dimming of lights at famous sites. While some people pooh-poohed the gesture as irrelevant or ineffective, the fact remains that we are living a global crisis created by the excessive use and abuse of our energy and natural resources.



Until we all come to terms with the urgent need to reduce our collective carbon footprints and eliminate waste, we will continue to be culprits participating in the depletion of our resources and the destruction of our planet.

As I surfed the internet on Saturday, reading reactions to the #Earth Hour effort on different sites such as Facebook and Twitter, I was comforted by the determination of many people, worldwide, to honor this important though symbolic gesture of wishing our planet well. I was also appalled by the dismissive way some people reacted and their disdain for what one person termed a “useless gesture.”


What those Earth Hour detractors seemed to forget is that when each of us take a small step in the right direction to support our planet, our collective effort becomes a giant step taken for the survival of the species. It brings much needed awareness to a topic often reserved for scientists and bipartisan politicians.
 

When the idea for Earth Hour was first conceived in 2007 in Australia, the organizers were eager to bring attention to a critical issue. Since then, the gesture has spread through many other countries around the world and we are all the better for it. So, whether you turned off any lights Saturday night or were simply reminded to be a bit more conscious of your energy consumption in general, I say thank you!


By this time next year, I am confident that, just like the Earth Hour campaign has grown; we will all do a bit more. The energy legacy we leave behind on this planet is as important as the literary, scientific or artistic contributions we make to the world we now inhabit.

Lights out at the next Earth Hour event could be the beginning of a truly magnificent, eureka moment for you, me and everyone else.

PHOTO CREDITS:
All Photos of Earth Hour Lights out Around the World ~ via Google Images


Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank

3 comments:

  1. I totally missed this this year, but thank you for sharing these great pictures and teaching me more about this campaign!

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  2. I am just stopping by to thank you for stopping at my blog! Thank you for your sweet comment. Hope you enjoy your weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dropping by, SITSta, to see what you're all about. I totally agree, which is why I'm working so hard to bring solar cooking to the mainstream chef. Come visit when you can.

    ReplyDelete

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