What is Earth Hour?
Does it really make a difference?
Earth hour is an environmental movement that began in Sydney Australia in 2007. Residents were encouraged to turn off their lights for 1 hour in support of environmental awareness. This symbolic gesture was a great success and is now recognised in 187 different countries. It’s had many critics over the years, mostly by people who don’t believe it’s making a real difference. Does Earth Hour really make a difference, or is it just an empty promise of a better world? Find out…
It’s a great environmental symbolism, but does it really matter?
There’s no doubt that Earth Hour has made people think about the environment and the harm we’re doing to our world every day. The question is, do people change their lifestyles because of this event or do they go right back to their consumer lifestyles once the hour’s up?
Answering the above question isn’t an easy one. It’s true that global temperatures and levels of pollution have continued to rise since its inception in 2007, but there have been positive changes: – Hugely successful programs are now in place where large groups of people work together to clean our sandy beaches and oceans of plastics and other rubbish (4Ocean). Companies and individuals have switched to electric outdoor power equipment and solar panels on houses, boats, camper vans, trucks and even cars have an increase in popularity all around the globe.
Incremental change for the Earth
Critics don’t think Earth Hour provides enough impetus for change, but the truth is there aren’t any quick fixes. Incremental changes can make a difference. Every time someone makes the decision to turn off a light as they leave a room or turn off the TV when they’re not actually watching it is a positive step towards environmental change.
Keeping the climate conversation going
It’s about keeping the conversation alive. That’s what Earth Hour helps to achieve. It reminds us every year that we need to do more. Yes, there are people that recognise the hour before going right back to their habits of over-consumption, but these people are no longer the overwhelming voice of the majority. It doesn’t matter whether you believe we are directly responsible for the greenhouse effect. As long as you believe we can do something about it and you’re willing to do your part.
Would changing the name of Earth Hour help?
A name change might help to make the day more effective in the minds of some. Referring to it as “Earth Hour” suggests to some critics that the majority believe that all we have to do is turn off the lights for 1 hour and we’ve done our part. This isn’t actually the case, but changing the name to something that highlights the need for constant progress could be helpful.
Perhaps we could call it Earth Hour Beginnings to highlight the fact that it’s a starting point, not an ending point. Anyone that thinks that Earth Hour doesn’t really matter is mistaken. It’s a way to keep the conversation flowing and every mind that we change and make more aware because of Earth Hour makes it worth turning out the lights for 1 hour every year at the end of March. So be sure to switch off your lights on Saturday 27 March 2021 at 8:30pm and raise your voice for nature.
Additionally, if you want to do more, give the team at MC Power Electrical a call on 0432 022 294. We can – switch the lights in and around your home over to LED lighting that are super energy efficient and use approximately 85% less energy. Furthermore, we can install ceiling fans to offset the use of your air conditioning.