Earth Hour 2010 was the third year of the one hour switch-off of all non-essential lights. The idea was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 and the only city to participate in the first year was Sydney. 2.2 million residents participated. That was considered a success. They wanted to expand and they did so in 2008 when a whole host of cities joined in and participated. It grows bigger every year. Every year new cities/states/countries pledge their allegiance and offer to shut off lights at monuments, parks, government buildings and many other places.
Just a few days ago took place the 4th annual version of Earth Hour. It took place on 27th March, 2010 from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM at each cities local time. It was a top trending topic on twitter for days before and the day after. Celebrities, Government officials, locals, YouTube, National Geographic and many more came forward and supported the movement planning grand things. All of this was fine. The problem was that none of it came to the local people. Only the high officials and the middle-class generation who keep up to date with everyday happenings knew what Earth Hour was all about and when it was.
New Delhi has officially participated in the 2009 and 2010 Earth Hour. New Delhi geared up with a valiant attempt but in the end it proved to be an utter disappointment. You all may think that monuments and government buildings and government housing uses and wastes the most electricity? If so, then you are totally wrong. The highest consumers of electricity is the common man. Along with consuming the most comes a lot of wastage as well. How many times have you left the room without turning off the lights or fans? Or even sometimes the AC/TV? I have heard it many times from my friends and family. Every time someone discusses about the environment, the number 1 solution that comes up is for the common man to just remember to turn off the lights and fans every time he leaves the room.
The main problem with every Earth Hour, is that the common man does not know about it. Also, the common man does not know what to do to save electricity and what appliance uses the most electricity. Simply said, the common man is uneducated. We need to start from the grassroots if we are to get anywhere in India concerning matters of environment and other national importance. All the Indians know about is sexual harassment, Mayawati, bollywood and the IPL. That about sums up the common man for you.
The Greenathon was another shot at saving India from environmental disaster. It was a 24-hour televised event broadcast from all over India. It consisted of events happening all throughout the 24 hours and all aimed at saving the environment. How many of the people that came to participate or do something was a common person? How many of the people who donated for the cause was a common man? Zero. Plain zero. That’s right people. Mostly industrialists, or government officials or celebrities came through and donated. Most of the ordinary citizens who donated were from upper-middle class backgrounds and were earning high salaries at their jobs. None of the lower strata knew about the even and none of the lower strata could do anything about it.
The fundamental issue that we have here is education and the way the Government officials try and do something. It is alway about a show of power or for becoming more rich for the Government officials. It all boils down to the people organizing the event. They are responsible for spreading the word and educating people on the matter. They have failed big time here as I explained above. They did their job half full and they were only concerned about more and more lights going on one day. What about the other 364 days?
At 8:15 PM my time, I went and turned off all lights and pulled out all plugs and virtually shut my house down. I admit, this was more than I usually do but not by much. Then at around 8:30 PM, I decided to go for a walk and scour the neighbourhood to see who was doing what while Earth Hour was going on. I managed to cover a lot of ground. In that time, I noticed that 90% of the rich peoples houses or the grand houses had some lights turned on. The small houses had most lights off but I only found 3 houses that had all their lights off. Even if people went out for dinner, all their lights were not off. The houses with all the lights off, were houses where either no one was staying or houses where the owners had gone on vacation.
One thing I noticed was the increased amount of traffic. That was a worrying factor but also a pleasing one. More people came out to eat dinner and if only they turned off all their lights, it would have been more successful. At least most lights were turned off. I went around each corner of my neighbourhood and I asked some guards if I could speak with the people living their and if they knew about Earth Hour. I asked them to at least turn off the gate lights. To all 3 I got a big fat NO. These guards were clueless. Only 3 of them knew what I was talking about but said they couldn’t turn off the lights unless the owners told them too. This was a big disappointment. This is what I talked about earlier. People are not educated. People do not know that shutting off a single light bulb for an hour can save a lot of energy.
All over facebook people said they were attending Earth Hour and became fans of all groups concerning Earth Hour. How many of them actually did something for the environment? Less than 50%. They only joined cause it was a popular group or their friends had joined it. This is what peers do to you. The strong showing before the event turned out to be all for nothing during the event.
I could offer you solutions, I could offer you advice, I could write to the Chief Minister. none of this will change the fact about us Indians being non-interested and uneducated. I could go in further on this topic but it will be an utter waste. The most popular comment I saw on twitter was, “We in India have power cuts everyday, why should we have to participate in Earth Hour’? To an extent I can agree with them. The only reason their is an event like this is because it is an social experiment for all the scientists concerned with Earth Hour out there.
That’s all I have to say on this topic and I hope something better can be organized instead of this. We could organize smaller events more often in the year. Something better happen or else we are all going to be doomed sometime or the other.
Sahil
29. March 2010 at 5:13 pm
Really well written! You’ve got the spark of environmentalism. All thats left now is some real groundwork this summer
Keep inspiring people
10. April 2010 at 11:47 pm
Yes. Waiting for instructions!
29. March 2010 at 8:52 pm
Love the way you presented your thoughts. It clearly depicts your honest opinion.I must say you have some seriously well groomed writing genes in you!
Keep up the good work!
10. April 2010 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for the great comment! I will surely keep up this high standard!
30. March 2010 at 10:07 am
Hey this is really well written! I enjoyed reading this! It was much better than what i was reading for class haha! Talk to you soon. Good job
x
10. April 2010 at 11:48 pm
Haha… I’ll always try and keep it more interesting than your class. You’ve got that promise.
30. March 2010 at 10:38 pm
Hi
Nicely done! Food for thought…first, a majority of our country is off the electricity grid, while the annual consumption levels in the West are enough, by some estimates to supply our country for 80 years?
Also, the way the India electricity grid is designed is production based, and not consumption based, like in other countries. So, if we switch off, but the powerplants dont reciprocate, all that electricity isnt saved, but wasted.
All in all to me, the Earth Hour is a token measure, in practice. However, I think the concept is more about making people realise just how much they consume, day after day in a developed cosmopolitan environment. When you go back to the stone age for an hour, sit there in silence, and then snap back to the buzzing beeping machines and the bright lights, somewhere, the gravity of it hits you. That’s the point of Earth Hour, for me. Reflection.
10. April 2010 at 11:50 pm
Yes. You are right about most of our country being off the grid but I don’t think the annual consumption levels in the West are enough to power us for 80 years. Maybe a year or two max!
Is that true that we waste power if we switch off? We surely must save something while switching off?
I really like you’re last point about the Stone Age.
31. March 2010 at 12:02 am
hey
nicely done. i think we need more earth hours.:)
10. April 2010 at 11:50 pm
Thanks. More Earth Hours? Will it really work?
31. March 2010 at 9:20 am
I think this was written really well too :]. I especially like what you said about talking to the guards about turning the lights off; I don’t think many people would actually do that like you did, and I think it’s really cool. It’s really awesome that you care enough about this to write about it and reflect on it, and I already told you this but I agree with what you’re saying.
10. April 2010 at 11:51 pm
Thanks a lot for the wonderful comment. Yes, talking to the guards is a unique thing!
31. March 2010 at 8:09 pm
Well written. One thing; people going out for dinner, even after switiching off their lights isnt’t really a good thing. It means that they burn petrol when the idea is that you emit less co2.
10. April 2010 at 11:52 pm
Yes totally. Overall though they save since many more lights switched off and more time spent at the restaurant equals to savings.
1. April 2010 at 12:03 pm
FINALLY,
Sorry I took so long to read this,
DLF is just the worst when it comes to earth hour, we have big, fancy, plastic banners put all over, and last year my house was one of the five-six houses that put off their lights. Of the 1350 flats in my condominium.
This year, I went out to dinner,
I don’t get it, @Kirat If we use 2 cars for eight people, doesn’t the electricity saved for those many people make up sufficiently for the fuel?
Oh, and its really nicely put :]
10. April 2010 at 11:53 pm
It’s okay. Using 2 cars for 8 people or 1 car for 8 people, it doesn’t matter. Your still burning fuel while you drive to the dinner place and back. So it almost cancels out the eletricity saved.
Thanks again!
2. April 2010 at 12:04 pm
nicely written. expecting as good and better from you
keep writing!
10. April 2010 at 11:53 pm
Thanks a lot my new friend.
4. April 2010 at 9:37 pm
Your article is quite well written. I agree with what you are saying and it is important to mobilize the common man in this respect. However, in order to have mobilized nations its important to have mobilized leaderships who can reach globally sustainable solutions. That’s the only way we can attain a world wide environmental change. Nontheless, it’s never futile to do your own small part even if governments are sitting on their asses and procrastinating.
10. April 2010 at 11:54 pm
Thanks for the lovely comment. Leadership is important and as you said leadership can lead to mobolizing the masses. Doing your own bit can go a long way to saving what’s ours.
25. April 2010 at 9:41 pm
Very well written. And u summed it up really well.
I could offer you solutions, I could offer you advice, I could write to the Chief Minister. none of this will change the fact about us Indians being non-interested and uneducated. So true.
Whether willingly or unwillingly, Indians are a part of Earth Hour, 365 days of the year.