Published on March 28, 2015 | by Christopher Ciligot Photography by Christopher Ciligot
0United we stand
Although it only lasts for one hour, Earth Hour may have a greater impact on the human kindred spirit than on the environment say some environmental activists. This however, may very well be the point.
“I’m not sure there is any permanent environmental benefit from Earth Hour in the sense of something measurable, however; the fact that you’re inspiring people to work together and to bring about collective action I think that’s really important,” says Franz Hartmann, executive director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA).
Earth Hour takes place during March and is a symbolic gesture in which countries around the globe turn off as many lights as possible for one hour to raise awareness for climate change.
Hartmann adds that in Ontario very little of the power or electricity generated comes from fossil fuels and that much of it comes from nuclear or renewable forms of energy which do not have a direct correlation to being affected by turning off the lights.
What started off as a lights off event in Australia in 2007 has now grown into what the official Earth Hour website calls the world’s largest grassroots movement.
The World Wildlife Fund site states that the event now engages over 172 countries and territories with 12-million Canadians alone, participating last year.
“The purpose behind it is for it to get people to start thinking about what they can do,” says Hartmann.
Hartmann has been a green advocate for Toronto since first volunteering at the TEA in 1990, and adds that when looking at the bigger picture, it’s the participation in Earth Hour that’s bigger than the energy consumption for it.
“Those who participate feel that they are part of a much much bigger group of people and that collectively we can make a difference.”
This is a sentiment echoed by Amanda Shaw, a work-study at Humber College’s Sustainability department who is planning to engage students to go past the hour and participate in what Humber College is calling Earth Week.
The event will run from March 30 until April 2 and will invite students to join a campus clean up, attend smart commuting workshops and plant seeds in flowerpots.
“Earth Hour was created to inspire and that’s what we want to do, is continue to inspire people to continue to lead more environmentally conscience lives,” says Shaw.
Both Shaw and Hartmann say that although the global event is only an hour there are many ways people around the world can continue the initiative and make it part of their daily lives.
Doing simple things around the house like plugging appliances into power bars making it easier to unplug; unplugging household items like televisions when not in use, as they still draw power even if turned off; and using public transit when possible are Shaw’s and Hartmann’s suggestions.
Rucha Naware, the communications manager of one of the many small global teams that help support and organize Earth Hour for the WWF says that the effects of humans participating during Earth Hour for the past eight years is already making a visible difference in making the world greener.
She adds that numerous petitions and legislations have been passed in Russia to protect forests and seas and in the Galapagos Islands a ban on plastics has been put in place.
“When people come together through Earth Hour to affect climate-friendly legislation the impact goes well beyond a lifetime,” says Naware.
Naware explains that Earth Hour has become something much bigger than what it was when it first started and that every individual, business or organization that has put time, funding, and even simply spreading the word for the movement has helped make its impact go well past an hour.
“We aspire to be bigger not in terms of duration of an hour, which is a symbolic moment of togetherness and commitment for the planet, but rather inspire even more people to take action and create a bigger, collective impact to change climate change.”
Earth Hour 2015 will take place on March 28 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For more information and statistics on the event visit the official Earth Hour website www.earthhour.org. For more information on Humber’s earth week and for more energy saving tips visit www.humber.ca/sustainability.
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