Switching Off for Earth Hour 2011

What will you do tomorrow evening? ..... any thoughts?

We're One 

For the past three years, our family have been participating in the Earth Hour .

Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Earth Hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008. Earth Hour 2011 will take place on March 26, 2011 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at participants' respective local time.

I am not really sure if we are contributing well to the global effort.  On our initial attempt, one of my kids was uncooperative and was challenging my patience.  That time, MS and I made a bonfire.  The flames served as a nice backdrop as MS listened intently why we need to do something about the environment.

On the second year, there was differences in opinion in the planned activities.  MS wanted so much to replicate the bonfire but MD was against it saying it is bad for the environment....  and she's right.  I was caught in a dilemma.  But MS's soulful eyes glimmering in the darkness was just what I needed to proceed with the original plan.... and MD was reprimanding us .... and like little kids caught with their fingers in the cookie jar, MS and I felt a little guilty but enjoyed the moment.  Hubby and MD were together in the second floor balcony looking who were with us and who were not ...... We made the fire bigger as the helpers, MS, and I gathered dried leaves, branches to burn... MS was amused but MD was not very pleased.  ED was not with us but was in her dorm for some school activity.  She told us, she and her dormates switched off.

This year, it would most likely be a repeat of the past two years.  I guess MS and I would be getting it from MD again, maybe from ED too....  What more, we'd be participating in the comfort and serenity of my newly renovated sanctuary.  The new environment would make staying out more worthwhile....  and everyone goes out on Earth Hour... because there literally nothing to do inside the house... unless one prefers to sleep sweltering in the summer heat.

Our family will once again make history on Earth Hour tomorrow.  The bigger challenge is to make the intent of the effort a part of our daily habit.  Switch off when electricity is unnecessary.  Limit wastage of things we use and consume.  Avoid buying for the sake of buying.... and indulge in the 3R's....

The one hour break may even give the family the much needed time to bond.... because the world has become estranged with all of  life's modern trappings.  Even family members become strangers as communication is lost with so many things taking time off our hands .... Make the Earth Hour work for mankind and for your family .... it takes only 60 minutes to make all the difference....