The second annual Earth Hour will be observed Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 8:30 p.m. local time. The official website for Earth Hour suggest that as people turn off their lights during a scheduled time, a blackout “will once again cascade around the globe, from New Zealand to Hawaii.” The Los Angeles Times calls Earth Hour “the world’s largest global climate change initiative.” Earth Hour, says the Times, is a “global call to action . . . a call to stand up and take responsibility.”
Earth Hour is easy for all
Within the most basic sense, Earth hour’s call to action is the least we can do. Taking part in Earth Hour doesn’t mean we have to actually take responsibility for the environment by changing any part of the way we live or use. All that is needed is for us to switch off the lights for an hour.
Shop, donate, borrow cash
It won’t cost you anything; however, anyone who thinks buying merchandise will stop Global Climate Change can shop for Earth Hour gear on their website. Additionally, if you believe it will make the environment better, you may donate money directly to Earth Hour online also. At the time of this writing, Earth Hour Gear was not yet available, but donations can be made now, so it’s not too early to fill out a personal loan application if you need a loan to do your part for Earth Hour.
Climate Change in a basic form
The Earth Hour website implies that effects of climate change are shown in all of the US. Alaska has warmed two times as quickly as the rest of the United States. Spring snowmelt is earlier, sea ice is reduced, glaciers are retreating and permafrost is thawing. In the Northwestern states, winters are wetter and summers are drier, water supplies are strained and erosion is increasing. In the Southwest, droughts are becoming additional of a concern because water supplies are additional scarce.
Within the Midwest, downpours are twice as frequent as they were a hundred years ago when lake ice is being reduced. The Northeast has less snow and more rain. In the Southeast there are additional huge storm surges, increased rainfall, higher winds, increased air temperatures, and additional hurricanes. On the coastlines and islands, which are particularly sensitive to effects of climate change, sea levels are rising, shorelines are eroding, wetlands are drowning and the man-made environment is threatened.
Taking a real stance doesn’t need to be hard
It is good to take a stance on climate change, but responsibility for the problem is going to take a lot more than an annual hour-long blackout. It also doesn’t mean you have to live in a teepee without electricity or running water.
One might ride a bike instead of driving a couple of times, purchase less wasteful products, or eat things that will use less fossil energy to produce.There is no reason why you can’t turn off your lights for an hour when also making other real changes; however, it is good to bear in mind change won’t be as easy as the flip of a switch.
No comments:
Post a Comment