Lights off for one shared home
Since the first Earth Hour was staged in 2007, participation in the event has grown exponentially. Last year, organizers of Earth Hour estimate that over 410,000 hours were given to the planet by supporters of the event who switched off lights for an hour in more than 190 countries and territories.
This year, organizers and supporters of the event are aiming for the “Biggest Hour for Earth.” The Philippines will be joining in the annual lights off tonight as the dry season officially starts. Weather experts have warned that the country faces the warmest, driest summer ever due to climate change and the lingering effects of El Niño. Several provinces are now suffering from drought, and water concessionaires are preparing for possible rotational water rationing in Metro Manila as water levels in all dams in Luzon go down.
The drought can reduce rice production and further push up the price of the staple that has been fueling food inflation. La Niña is seen to follow El Niño. Both weather phenomena tend to intensify prevailing climate conditions, worsening droughts and triggering torrential typhoons.
Experts have warned that the Philippines is among the countries facing the highest risks due to climate change. In recent years, the country has seen this, with powerful storm surges hitting even areas that used to be secluded from tropical cyclones, and unusually heavy rainfall spawning deadly landslides and destructive flooding.
Earth Hour organizers point out that despite efforts to address global warming, the world is on course to breach by 2030 the global temperature increase limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius set in the Paris Climate Agreement. This is seen to cause irreversible damage to the planet. The climate and nature crises are now seen to be at a tipping point.
While the annual lights off is largely symbolic, it indicates the level of commitment to more impactful measures that will address climate change. Filipinos are enjoined to give an hour tonight for the Earth, humanity’s shared home. This involves switching off nonessential lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., spending 60 minutes “doing something – anything – positive for our planet.”