Earth Hour

How long has it been since you last saw a starry sky? You just might have the chance to see one his Saturday, March 26th 2011, between 8.30 and 9.30 PM, local time: 

In 2007 the first Earth Hour was launched by WWF in Sydney, Australia, where 2,2 million individuals and over 2,000 business switched off their lights for 1 hour to draw the attention to the necessity of saving energy and the problem of Climate Change.

In 2008 the movement had become global and mobilized 50 million people across 35 countries. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, the CN Tower in Toronto, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Colosseum of Rome, and many other global landmarks joined in, shutting of their lights for the cause.

In 2009, several hundreds of millions of people participated. More than 4000 cities in 88 countries turned off their lights to show their support for the planet. 

The upward trend continued in 2010, with 128 countries joining, and landmarks all over the world being darkened for an hour.

Earth Hour 2011 will occur on the 26th of March, at 8.30 PM, local time. And this Earth Hour, WWF wants us, citizens of the earth, to go a step further, to go beyond the hour and take a moment to think how we,  you, I, personally, can make a difference.

And not just individuals are able to make pledges & commitments. One of the many countries to make a commitment is Nepal, which has promised to put an end to tree-felling in the Churiya range, a 9,200-square mile forest area... 

If, however, you've ran out of ideas, Miranda Kerr has a few tips for you. The actress/Victoria’s Secret Model and wife of Orlando Bloom has been named Global Ambassador by WWF and has a few suggestions  on how we can work towards a more sustainable and energy- & resources-efficient home.

Even though the concept of Earth Hour originally just indicated that you should switch off all your lights for an hour, it might be a good idea to just head straight for that general power switch (or the electrical motherboard or whatever) and switch off everything (except, perhaps, your freezer... )? Stay away from all things electrical? No computer, no tv, no laptop, no popcorn maker, no vacuum cleaner, no vibrating foot bath... 

So what will you do in that hour of electricitylessness / lightlessness? A couple of suggestions:

You can play games, board or otherwise. And yes, there are games that can actually be played “IRL” and do not involve a flickering screen and complicated button combo’s. Take out that old chess set and finally take revenge on your dad who trashed you so soundly when you were 12. Dig up your old alliances and wet your blades for a game of Risk. Wipe the dust of that set of cards and play a game that doesn’t involve clicking rapidly while keeping an eye out for your boss. 

Play tag. Play hide-and-seek. Play seek-and-tag (a variation on the former two where you hide and, upon being found, you need to be tagged to be cought. If you’re not tagged, you’re free to find a new hiding place). All three of these are very entertaining in a dark house or yard. 

Whip out the candles and organize a romantic tête-à-tête with your loved one. Though, of course, to be completely in the spirit of Earth Hour, you’d have to either prepare all your food beforehand or settle for a salad (and be extra careful when cutting them carrots...).

Gather around a (small and eco-friendly) campfire and share stories while roasting marshmallows. You may even want to take out that ol’ guitar to relive your carefree and largely forgotten youth and sing some golden oldies... 

And, for those amongst us who have difficulty staying away from Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Orkut, LinkedIn, GChat, ... just think about old the wild stories you’ll be able to post at 9.30PM about your hour of sobriety! You’ll be able to dazzle your fellow internauts with your tall tales of the world outside, where people actually meet “in real time”, “in real life” ... all the time...

There’s even a (infinitesimally) small chance that Facebook will join in Earth Hour! If Angie Bird manages to convince Mr. Zuckerberg, you won’t be able to access Facebook during Earth Hour. Something to look forward too!

So enjoy your Saturday night, switch of the electricity for an hour (or more) and enjoy the stars.