If you are among one of the many buildings that have joined in the global movement called Earth Hour, this means one hour of darkness on March 28, 2009 with no electric lights or appliances in use between 8:30 and 9:30pm.
This symbolic hour of darkness is a gesture that intends to raise awareness about climate change. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is raising funds towards halting and reversing the destruction of our environment; they focus on conserving forests, freshwater and oceanic ecosystems. Earth Hour is a way of calling attention to their conservation efforts.
Unless you have a violent fear of the dark, this event can promise to be fun. By inviting friends over to your home, and having them to turn out their lights while they are out, increases Earth Hour's participants.
Host a Candlelit Party
Dinner parties by candle-light are nothing new; however having the whole event from beginning to end (and supplying candles in safe areas of your bathroom for guests) may be a new experience. Have each guest donate a sum of money to be donated to WWF, and enjoy a gourmet meal for the experience.
If you are reluctant to have candles everywhere in your home, an option would be cooking the food well before your city’s designated “lights out” time, and have everyone gather around the table to enjoy a dinner by candle light. This way, even fidgety children will not be in danger of knocking candles over out of parents’ visual range.
If 8:30 is too late for supper, a dessert by candlelight can be a good compromise: A chocolate fondue by candlelight is a great way to keep everyone focused on the table and not fixating on the absence of light.
Bright Idea: Selling CFL Lightbulbs For Charity
Instead of selling pens or other knick-knacks, try buying a large bulk amount of CFL’s from a manufacturer or hardware store, and selling each one for a fraction of the price it would cost buying a pair of bulbs on their own. The savings should provide incentives for people to join Earth Hour, as well as generating donation funds towards WWF-Canada.
Eco-Friendly Office Events
A pleasant change from pancake breakfasts would be an organic, Fair Trade breakfast at your office to raise awareness about Earth Hour, and perhaps use it as a way to raise funds towards WWF's ecological endeavors.
In 2007, Hewitt Associates began a series of Lunch ‘n’ Learn events in Canada, focusing on environmental awareness. They organized lunch-time screenings of “An Inconvenient Truth” as employees ate brown-bagged lunches. This motivated their offices to begin a Green Team initiative.
WWF’s fundraising ideas site recommends charging each staff member $5 to attend the event, but to provide a lunch for employees as an incentive; it would still cost less than half of what would it would cost to see it in a theatre.
Earth Hour Activities at Home
For those who don’t want to do any fund raising, incorporate a “re-use, reduce and recycle” motif to the event. Try transforming all single and frayed socks in the house into sock puppets. During Earth Hour, feature sock-puppet shows by flashlight: Award the best sock puppet design and performance an award.
Another, more practical activity may involve doing chores that don’t require electricity: polishing silver, folding laundry, or washing floors can be among some ways to keep busy for one hour safely by candlelight.
Gathering your friends and family together to show support in changing the environment can start with a single gesture: Turn out your lights, or just reduce the amount of lights and appliances in use in your home for an hour. It all adds up.
 |
