The second official Earth Hour could be observed on Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 8:30 P.m. local time for a lot of. 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
Earth Hour’s call to action is the least we can do in the most simple sense of the word. 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 consume. All we have to do is turn off the lights for an hour.
Borrow money, shop, donate
It costs nothing to engage in Earth Hour; however, those who hope that buying additional merchandise will help stop climate change can shop for Earth Hour Gear on the official web site. 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.
A nutshell of Climate Change
According to the Earth Hour web site, the effects of climate change are being felt all over the United States. Alaska’s climate has warmed twice as quickly as the mainland United States. Spring snowmelt is earlier, sea ice is reduced, glaciers are retreating and permafrost is thawing. Within the Northwest, winters are becoming wetter while summers are becoming dryer and water supplies are becoming strained while erosion is increasing. Within the Southwest, water supplies are becoming very scarce and droughts are being a lot more of a concern.
In the Midwest, heavy downpours are now twice as regular as they were 100 years ago and lake ice is reduced. The Northeast has less snow and more rain. Within the Southeast there are additional huge storm surges, greater rainfall, higher winds, increased air temperatures, and additional hurricanes. On the coastlines and islands, which are particularly sensitive to impacts of climate change, sea levels are increasing, 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 more than an annual hour-long blackout. It also doesn’t mean you have to live in a teepee without electricity or running water.
A person might ride a bike on occasion instead of driving a auto, purchase fewer wasteful and unneeded products, or select foods that require less fossil fuel energy to make.There is no reason why you can’t participate in Earth Hour when also making real changes; the change will unfortunately never be as easy as flipping a switch.
