Last March 25, 2017 at the tone of eight o’ clock in the evening, people from 185 countries in the world participated in observing the “Earth Hour.” It falls on a Saturday in the Philippines and many establishments in Metro Manila observed the meaningful one hour event.
The observance of the Earth Hour is on its 10th year. It is an advocacy which started in Australia in 2007 to promote awareness on global warming. From its humble beginning, the movement caught the attention from the other parts of the world. As the years go by, it gained stronger support to be what it is as of today. It grew as an international observance to instill awareness to people of all races on the Real time threat of global warming.
In addition, the point of interest about the Earth Hour is that majority of its followers are from the youth sector of every society on earth. It is an observance that is noble in character; no fanfares nor showsof outward display, just a normal time for everybody to experience that the whole world is showing its concern about global warming. As the clock ticks at 8 in the evening, all the lights from various places and establishments simultaneously shuts down. Even those who are not participating in the event but who happened to be in places where it is observed become automatic participants to the momentous hour. To mention a few, restaurants, hotels, lounges, fast food chains, parks, and homes become a haven of peace and quiet with the usual amenities going on. The dinners, coffee breaks, functions, and friendly huddles turn all romantic with the lighted candles in sight.
When the power is out there are no air conditioning units running, the amplifiers and speakers are muted and the spotlights are in the off mode. The Earth Hour is a naïve symbol of unity and brotherhood among men to pay respect to Mother Nature and to their fellowman amidst the challenging times.
By: MARIA LEONIDA L. GOMEZ | Teacher I | Bataan National High School
