Earth Hour: Public expects action taken at all levels

EARTH Day is the one day in the year dedicated to drawing the world's attention to the dire need
for humans to learn to live in harmony with our environment.

We have learned how to use the resources our planet offers to our own advantage but to the
detriment of the environment.

Now, there is a general consensus among the scientific community that we are changing our
environment irrevocably and that action must be taken to reverse this situation to ensure our
future.

Earth Day was heralded in 2007, when two million people in Sydney simultaneously turned off
all non-essential lighting for an hour in the evening to draw universal attention to the need for
action on climate change. Last year, an estimated one billion people in 156 nations showed they
recognized the need for action by turning off all non-essential lighting in their homes from
8.30pm to 9.30pm. Public authorities switched off lighting, including iconic buildings and
landmarks, one being the Niagara Falls.

The World Wide Fund for Nature and the nations of the earth have made Earth Day 2011 even
more meaningful by opening a "billion acts of green" campaign in the form of "personal,
organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably".

Looking beyond mere tokenism, this en masse action makes it clear to world leaders that the
public expects action not only at the individual level, but also at national and international levels
to find effective solutions to possibly the greatest threat to our future.

So let us all be more careful with the way we use energy. It may be a good idea to restrict flood
lighting and illumination of buildings to important festive occasions only. Above all, let us all
live and act sensibly and sustainably.

Sources: News Strait Times, 29 March 2011