Counting Down to Earth Hour 2013 - Show Your Support!

The Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Taipei 101, the  Beijing National Stadium, and of course the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur – all these landmarks are often seen lighting up the city skyline but tomorrow, these landmarks and many more will go dark! On this Saturday, March 23rd many iconic buildings both large and small the world over will turn off their lights for an hour in a show of support to the annual Earth Hour event.

Earth Hour is a global movement to raise awareness on climate change. Due to mankind, our planet is going through a critical phase in which global temperatures are rising on average and showing no signs of stopping. However, many are still unalarmed and pay no heed to the dire scientific findings, predicting a disastrous state of events for our environment in the future if nothing is done today.

Earth Hour kicked off in Sydney in 2007, the brainchild of Andy Ridley who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour. On 31 March 2007, over 2 million people and 2,000 businesses in Sydney went dark for an hour, and subsequently inspired the world to do the same. Just last year, the wave of support for Earth Hour is almost global, encompassing hundreds of millions of people in over 152 countries, including Malaysia.

Most people would think such simple gestures will not make a difference. That is simply not true. Everyone needs to remember that it is the cumulative effect which makes a huge impact to the environment. Everyone has to play a part for the small efforts to be impactful.

In 2011, Earth Hour changed its logo from ‘60’ into ‘60+’, to indicate that the effort to protect and preserve our planet must move beyond the hour. Through its ‘I Will if You Will’ campaign, the annual event dares people to do more than just switching off lights.

Malaysia is taking up the challenge this year. Recently, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal b. Hj. Talib promised to cycle to work on March 25th if at least 50 buildings in Kuala Lumpur switched off their lights for Earth Hour. The Mayor will also join in the Petronas Twin Towers Lights Out this Saturday from 8.30pm until 9.30pm.

By Lai Seng Sin [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

So for the rest of us, let us support this global effort not necessarily by switching off the lights for an hour but to always consider the environment in our day-to-day practices. Let’s take up the challenge to make Malaysia and the world a greener, healthier and more sustainable place to live in. It’s the small things that matter most. Small efforts by ordinary people make all the difference. So please never underestimate the power that you have in saving ‘Our Earth, Our Home’.

Join Petrosains in “Our Earth, Our Home” Weekend Special on 23^rd -  24^th March 2013. Join us for fun activities throughout the science centre. Our artistic face-painters  and energetic science buskers will be around to ensure that you have great fun too!

On 23^rd March 2013 there will be a special performance entitled, “Inspirasi Haiwan” at 11.30am and 2.30pm. This performance is about dance movement inspired by animals which will incorporate beautiful music and choreography as interpreted by ASWARA (National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage).

Shared by Iman, Communications Intern at Petrosains