Yesterday was Earth Day and at 8.30pm, we are all encouraged to turn off our light, to vote for earth, not global warming, as mentioned by the organisers. It is not meant to save energy (as some would have assumed). It is about raising awareness about the threat of global warming and by switching off your light, you are showing a commitment towards a more enviromentally friendly lifestyle.
Modern comsumption patterns and lifestyle makes all of us enviromentally unfriendly and all of us contribute to harming the environment. As mentioned on Nat Geo, the moment we are born, we are contributing to global warming (the amount of diapers we use). We can't possibly lead a way of life which has no impact on the environment. What we can do is to minimise the damage to the environment.
And so I switched off the lights in my house. It was indeed weird to walk round the house in darkness, not total darkness as the street lamps, corridor lights were still on. Watching tv in the dark, rumaging through the kitchen in the dark, trying to aim properly in the toilet in the dark. It shows how much we depend on lights. I looked around my neighbourhood. It doesn't seem like many took part in this activity. The dark units could probably be due to occupants not at home.
And you didn't save the earth just because you turned off your light for one hour. What matters is you knowing that you can play a part in saving the environment. What matters is you put what you know/learnt about saving the environment into action. If everyone were to take one less plastic bag, millions of bags could be saved. Each one of our actions counts.
Well, despite many people ignorance to this activity or the global warming issue, I am glad I did my part, even if others do not agree with me.
