Earth’s Hour

Last Saturday , the nation took part in a global campaign to arrest global warming and to promote awareness of the threat of climate change. Earth Hour, an environmental campaign by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was successfully launched in Australia in March 2007 with around two million people and 2100 establishments joining the said campaign.

This year the campaign’s effort to have people switch off their lights for an hour has spread among 83 countries given the simplicity and effectiveness of what is asked of those willing to participate in the campaign. According to WWFPhilippines, the country had the most number of cities and towns with 647, which pledged to participate in the campaign.

In Naga City, huge sections of the city have joined Earth Hour 2009 in saving and celebrating the effort to thwart climate change. Most business establishments along Magsaysay Ave. have turned off their lights and electrical equipment from 8:30 PM until 9:30 PM, the one-hour period of the global campaign. Similarly, darkness enveloped numerous homes as residents participated in Earth Hour 2009. Like what its slogan asked, many did vote for the Earth.

Earth Hour’s success in advocating awareness and involvement against climate change is in many ways a beacon of hope. The United Nations’ report on the climate states that “rich nations will have to cut their emissions to a level between 25 and 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst effects of warming.” Moreover, “developing nations will also have to slow the rise of their emissions by 2020,” it says. Such tasks or targets can appear daunting and overwhelming for governments; more so, for “regular people” who see themselves helpless to address the issue. With Earth Hour, however, the simple flick of a switch by anyone can contribute to reducing power consumption and thus aid in bringing down the level of greenhouse gas emissions.

This year’s Earth Hour had targeted one billion people to switch off their lights and be in the dark for 60 minutes. By so doing, it lit within those one billion people the hope that they can change the world for the better.