The world has witnessed a number of dark moments in recent years—the tsunami in Thailand which killed thousands in 2004; Hurricane Katrina in the US in 2005; earthquakes in Haiti and Japan; and Supertyphoon Yolanda which devastated the Philippines in 2013. These natural disasters brought nothing but despair and hopelessness to affected nations.
According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization, the world is nearly five times as dangerous and disaster prone as it was in the 1970s, because of the increasing risks brought by climate change. The first decade of the 21st century saw 3,496 natural disasters including floods, storms, droughts and heat waves. That was nearly five times as many disasters as the 743 catastrophes reported during the 1970, and all of these weather events, it has been concluded, are influenced by climate change.
Why does climate change occur? Some experts suggest that may be nature’s way of “expressing rage” against the reckless actions of humans. “We have altered so many natural systems so dramatically, their ability to protect us from disturbances is greatly diminished,” said Janet Abramovitz, author of Unnatural Disasters.
Sadly, when people should be acting out their role as responsible stewards of this planet, they became Mother Nature’s archenemy instead, polluting oceans, cutting down trees with reckless abandon and killing animals until they are gone forever.
‘The most polluting species’
The world is now witnessing what experts termed as “ecological overshoot.” This means that humanity’s annual demand on the natural world has exceeded what the Earth can renew in a year. And this can all be traced back to the industrial revolution which started in the 18th century. As people got their hands on creature comforts, they yearned for more.
Additionally, people harm the soil by using chemicals like herbicides; create large landfills and produce waste from food-processing industries; excrete nuclear waste generated from assembling nuclear reactors and weapons. They damage the natural supply of water by letting toxic dissipations flow toward bodies of water, unfazed that these bodies’ vastness is still subject to vulnerability. They harm the very air that they breathe by burning toxic gases; they use fuel-guzzling land, water, and air vehicles which not only cause air pollution, but also deplete fossil fuels. Humans also remove trees and other plants to increase areas of cultivation and this causes habitat loss and threatens the survival of numerous species of animals and plants.
All these factors contribute to the increase in the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, which are believed to cause global warming. The ozone layer that shields the earth from ultraviolet rays is being destroyed by these poisons, resulting in extreme weather conditions and violent natural disasters.
Nature’s cry
When a vehicle is well maintained, it can provide a smooth and safe transportation. But when it is abused and neglected, it can be very dangerous. In some respects, the same may be true for Mother Earth.
People tend to abuse and neglect the only habitable planet in the galaxy, which is why it is now in dire shape. In the perspective of a number of scientists, human-induced changes in the Earth have made the planet a dangerous place. And the future looks uncertain. “We’re in the middle of a large uncontrolled experiment on the only planet we have,” according to an editorial on climate change in Science magazine.
According to another editorial by Science magazine, procrastinating on emissions reduction “is like refusing medication for a developing infection: It guarantees that greater costs will have to be paid later.” Pertaining to those costs, a Canadian report on disaster mitigation mentioned: “Climate change can be argued to be the most pervasive and far-reaching environmental issue ever dealt with by the international community.”
The World Disasters Report 2004 of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated that, in the past decade, geophysical and weather-related disasters have increased by over 60 percent. “This reflects longer-term trends.”
But hope for the planet has not yet run out. If seen from another perspective, nature is actually on the side of the human race, no matter how badly it has already been hurt. Catastrophes are nature’s way of telling people that they should get their acts together and realize the things that they have been doing wrong. Nature causes dark moments to happen as a way to help people realize their follies.
An hour of ‘deliverance’
Just a single hour can already change the Earth’s course for a lifetime.
This initiative, called the Earth Hour, uses the simple action of switching off lights for 60 minutes to disseminate all over the world nature’s plea for concerted action to stop the destructive behavior of humans. Now on its eighth year, it has become the largest recurring environmental mass-action. Out of the 196 countries, 153 take part in this global switch-off.
“Earth Hour has always been more than just about turning lights off. It’s about people from all walks of life coming together throughout the year to show what they can do to protect the planet,” said Earth Hour Co-Founder and CEO Andy Ridley.
“What makes Earth Hour different is that it empowers people to take charge and use their power to make a difference. The movement inspires a mixture of collective and individual action, so anyone can do their part,” Ridly added.
Most of the world’s iconic landmarks are dimming their lights every year. In America, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Empire State Building in New York and the Space Needle in Seattle are just some popular sites, which will be switching off their lights for the event. In the UK, Wembley Stadium, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye shall dim facade lights. Over 400 monuments in France, including the Eiffel Tower, will go dark.
The Philippines has also become one of the movement’s dominant supporters—since 2008, it has topped town and city participation levels to earn the title of “Earth Hour Hero Country.” Organizers from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) encourage supporters to celebrate the switch-off at home or in establishments with lights-out events. This year, the main switch-off event in the country will be at the Quezon City Memorial Circle from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on March 28, Saturday night.
“In the spirit of promoting meaningful climate solutions, we encourage Pinoy families to stay at home and observe the hour through low-carbon means—but everyone who wishes to join us at Quezon Circle will be treated to a surprise. A clue—come in sporty attire and bright colours,” Earth Hour Philippines Head Gia Ibay said.
Malacañang is also encouraging the public to voluntarily turn off lights. “In so doing, Filipinos will be showing their solidarity with the rest of the world in efforts to combat climate change, thereby promoting a cleaner, healthier and greener world,” Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr said.
Giving the ‘Gift of Light’
The success stories from Earth Hour illustrate how the movement has become a global collaboration to show what can be achieved for the planet. In Singapore the “Stop the Killing” project raised $21,346 to combat wildfire crime in Southeast Asia. The United Arabs Emirate campaign reached more than 5 million people to make the switch to energy-efficient lighting. Meanwhile, WWF India launched an Earth Hour education program in 15,000 schools to help reduce energy use and carbon footprint And, in Greece, WWF generated 15,500 signatures against the Ptolemaida V coal-fired power plant.
Earth Hour has now evolved to more than just turning off lights for an hour. Dubbed as the “Earth Hour Blue,” it is a crowd-funding and crowd-sourcing platform for long-term environmental initiatives. The Philippines’s Earth Hour Blue initiative last year was one of the most celebrated Earth Hour success stories. People from all over the world came together with the use of technology to fund Fiberglass bancas or boats to typhoon-affected fishermen.
This year WWF Philippines will fund the Gift of Light to hundreds of families in Beton Island, a remote island in Palawan province where families source their light through dangerous and expensive kerosene lamps.
“The Kerosene lamp contains crude oil,” said fisherman Joys Dominguez, who is a native of the island. “They are also expensive,” he added. “I must earn an additional P150 each month to buy half-a-gallon of kerosene. They are very dangerous. If a child knocks down a lamp, our house might burn down.”
Ibay said the most effective alternative to this problem is a solar lamp. “Solar lamps rely on the power of the sun, eliminating the need to buy fuel. We’re teaching communities to veer away from fossil-fuels, the burning of which contributes to climate change.”
“More than a symbolic switch-off for the planet, Earth Hour aims to deliver concrete solutions to people in need. Last year we deployed hundreds of fiber-glass boats to help fishers affected by Typhoon Yolanda. This year, we will offer off-grid communities The Gift of Light,” said WWF-Philippines CEO Joel Palma. “Earth Hour’s message is clear. When we unite toward a common goal, we can change climate change.”
Still, with many living in far-flung communities which are not directly connected to power grids, about 12 million Filipinos have no access to electricity, which is why WWF is seeking the help of the public to help these people acquire their own safe and efficient solar lamps.
After Beton Island, the project will provide lamps for the Mangyan people and forest rangers protecting the Iglit-Baco Mountain Range in Occidental Mindoro, the last holdout of the critically endangered Tamaraw, an endemic dwarf forest buffalo. The Gift of Light project is expected to run for at least a year. For more information, visit wwf.org.ph/earthhour.
Additionally, WWF challenges Filipinos to go beyond the 60-minute Earth Hour switch-off and initiate environmental-friendly efforts. Pledges can be as simple as switching to energy-saving light-bulbs, cycling to work or committing to take the stairs, instead of the elevator, for a year.