Eco-Warriors: Could an Hour Modify the Ecosystem?
Earth is more than a livable society that serves the people who treat the planet as their disposal– which is noticeable from their harmful actions, such as overconsumption, deforestation, and exploitation of natural resources. Therefore, worldwide environmental movements from different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) transpired with the initiative to help deplete the ecological issues caused by humanity. One of them is Earth Hour, formed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) last 2007 in Australia and continues annually on the last Saturday of March.
The movement by WWF intends to conserve the planet by the initiative for each person to turn off the lights in their residence for an hour, as WWF believes this could be the start of a path to do more for the environment (Earth Hour, n.d.).
The reason why Earth Hour (2022) is documented in over 190 countries and millions of people globally take part in switching off their lights as they presume that the movement is environmentally beneficial. Concurrently, Siddarth Das, the executive director of Earth Hour, mentioned that people are at the front line of defense when combating climate change since humankind can transform the state of Earth into something that future generations will permanently live (Euronews, 2016).
However, there are numerous criticisms concerning Earth Hour as critics adhered that the one-hour movement is futile and has more negative impacts on the environment they are trying to protect. Including its active participants, since they seem oblivious to the absolute consequences of the advocacy they are partaking in.
Unraveling the Earth Hour Movement
The following list consists of some arguments why Earth Hour is counterproductive:
1. Carbon Emissions
Starting with the apparent problem of Earth Hour, it is ironic how the movement is about having a beneficial impact on the environment, but the carbon emissions from people who participate in it persist.
There are instances in which the participants of Earth Hour light up a candle since it serves as an alternative to their daily use of artificial light during the movement, and instances where a few even have candlelight events. Though, as noticed by Munroe (2021), the candle that people use releases carbon dioxide (CO2) when it is burning, and they become tiny airborne particles that float around the world continuously, which is considered harmful to the human body.
More so, paraffin candles emit 10 grams of CO2 when occurring to lit up for about an hour (O’Carroll, 2009), although the masses still opt for them since they are the cheapest and conventionally practical, unlike beeswax candles and soy wax candles.
Besides, the sudden increase in carbon emissions for potential power surges could happen every year in each state when different nationalities across the globe participate in Earth Hour. As specified by Koerth-Baker (2012), a science journalist, during and after Earth Hour, CO2 emissions escalate because the power plants need to promptly keep pace with the electricity demand, comparing it to a moving car where it is rapidly accelerating or decelerating.
Proving the point that even though WWF expressed that the one-hour movement of turning off the light is a symbol of a substantial environmental change, the actions concerning it seem futile as it does more harm than abundance to Earth.
2. Bad for the Poor
Earth Hour strikes as exclusive regarding the social class of the public because it appears as primarily inequitable for poor people to participate annually. Instead, what the poor need at the moment is more sources of light to improve their living experiences compared to the more affluent, who have different means to continue their life when turning off the lights for about an hour. Emphasized by McKitrick (2009, as cited in Perry, 2019), the advocacy of WWF “celebrates ignorance, poverty, and backwardness” since it antagonizes people who solely want to get by their day with limited or expensive electricity who are sizably from developing countries.
Hence, it is not surprising that people who regularly participate in the advocacy are from those wealthy, urban areas that also substantially contribute to the usage of fossil fuels instead of renewable energies, even though they are predominantly from developed countries (Lomborg, 2017).
3. Performative Activism
There are participants in Earth Hour that could be deemed as questionable when relating to their actions during and after participating in the one-hour movement as if it is feeble for them to grasp the purpose of Earth Hour. Last 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Bir (2020) outlined the participants of Earth Hour since they celebrated their advocacy inside the comfort of their homes and online because they believed it amplified the need for the help of the planet.
Regardless of the “efforts” to raise awareness about Earth Hour, there has been a record by Hazas (n.d., as cited in Griffiths, 2020) that the carbon footprint for being online amounts to 3.7% of the greenhouse gasses emissions in the world, a similarity to the greenhouse gasses emitted by the airline industry worldwide.
The Environmental Protection Agency (2022) stated that greenhouse gas emissions are destructive for the environment since it warms the atmosphere from the number of carbon footprints or actions that cause gaseous emissions from people that proceed to make the climate off-balance. The execution shows an ineffective approach by the advocates since it contradicts the motive of WWF for Earth Hour after using a method that significantly contributes to the surging releases of CO2 emissions.
4. Waste of Time
In Slate’s article, Lomborg (2013) described Earth Hour as being completely pointless and a “colossal waste of time.” Engaging in Earth Hour increases the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere instead of lessening the harmful effects of greenhouse gasses.
The burning of fossil fuels for electricity by individuals generates ample amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere. Even a short text message can contribute to increased levels of CO2. Carbon emissions are the leading cause of the current state of the global climate. This contributes significantly to the comparatively high temperature on Earth.
Furthermore, during Earth Hour, any significant decrease in electricity demand will reduce CO2 emissions during the complete shutdown. However, this reduction will be offset by the surge in CO2 emissions from restarting coal or gas stations to restore electricity supplies after Earth Hour has ended. Participating in Earth Hour will not have any significant contribution to the reduction of electricity usage at home.
5. Dangerous
Jackson (2017) stated that electricity saves millions of lives from smoke inhalation, keeps our food fresh and healthy, ensures the safety and efficacy of vaccines and medications, and keeps our homes at a comfortable temperature.
Total darkness is one factor that contributes to the dangers posed to the lives of people in certain underdeveloped nations, such as Venezuela. According to a report published by Jones (2019), the power interruption in Venezuela has left food degrading in refrigerators, hospitals scrambling to keep essential equipment functioning and the transport system in disarray. It makes it more difficult for its citizens to obtain the aforementioned amenities with frequent blackouts. In this regard, the Earth Hour Movement fails to consider a country’s economic situation and security.
Moreover, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2021) asserted that hundreds of millions of people globally still lack immediate access to power, with most of them in the least developed nations such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu.
Taking part in a protest that involves turning off the electricity for an hour marginalizes the suffering that some people are experiencing due to the lack of electrical power.
Averting Climate Catastrophe
Climate change refers to both the process of global warming and the continual increase in the average temperature across the globe and its impact on the Earth’s climatic system. This can result in a disaster that could directly impact human life. To prevent such calamitous occurrences, individuals should implement solutions other than the global practice of turning off all electricity for a specified hour, which has been in effect for many years.
As a counterpart to Earth Hour, the Competitive Enterprise Institute has been promoting the observance of Human Achievement Hour. Human Achievement Hour advocates that individuals should use technology and innovation to address environmental issues and challenges. It is widely accepted that sustainable innovation is the primary factor driving societal shifts toward a more green and secure environment. The effective transformation of carbon-intensive systems into alternatives that are less destructive to the environment and more efficient can be made possible by recent advances in technology (HCLTech, 2023).
Human Achievement Hour aims to deliver a message that affordable energy and the freedom to create and develop make life better for billions of people worldwide every day. This improvement can be seen in everything from life expectancy and disease treatment to literacy rates and more significant employment. Putting up roadblocks and restrictions that will hold down these advancements has real-world consequences, particularly for economically disadvantaged and the most vulnerable nations (Competitive Enterprise Institute, n.d.).
Thus, technological advancement, the availability of affordable energy sources, and being economically competitive made it feasible for the developed world to acquire access to electrical power, making it possible to avert the catastrophic effects of climate change.
Refining the Ecological Community
Frequently, there is various news worrying about the environment as it continues to deteriorate yearly, even though countless NGOs and advocates endlessly uphold the goal of achieving eco-friendly and people-friendly living conditions. Nevertheless, multiple commendable solutions are continuously flourishing since they benefit everyone in the ecosystem from the processes that will not put any being at risk.
Air degradation harms the entirety of the ecosystem since humans, animals, and plants are under a single atmosphere, as why various solutions have begun:
1. Renewable Energy Sources
Choosing renewable energy sources like wind and water to supply each establishment is better since they only emanate little to no greenhouse gasses into the world (United Nations, n.d.). As conveyed by Adriano (2022), a province in Northern Luzon, Philippines, built wind turbines that generate 5 megawatts (MW) each to help improve renewable energy and aims to allot 5,000 MW by 2025.
2. Transportation
Having the resolution to opt for public transport, carpooling, or biking if possible since they effuse lesser carbon emissions than riding a private vehicle is recommendable (Center for Science Education, n.d.). Case in point by Ritchie et al. (2020), road transport is under the energy sector in global greenhouse emissions, amounting to 11.9% when contributing to air degradation.
3. Tree Planting
Filtering the air through trees is one of the most common but effective methods for reducing air pollution since it consumes CO2 and produces clean and fresh air (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, n.d.).
Correspondingly, concerns about the deterioration of bodies of water are never minimized since one of its apparent problems is that tons of waste are visibly floating carelessly and look like they double annually. Therefore, several projects aid in lessening the pollution in water, such as:
● Rain Gardens — The making of ‘rain gardens’ that can help reduce rain pollutants (e.g., chemicals, dirt, oil, bacteria, etc.) from roofs or driveways and filters the rainwater for about 90% is the best start for each person (Groundwater, n.d.).
● Organic Agriculture — Another way to decrease water pollution is through organic agriculture since 70% of water abstractions come from agribusiness (Food and Agriculture Organization, n.d.-a), as organic farming prohibits the usage of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers which benefit the water in staying chemical-free (Food and Agriculture Organization, n.d.-b).
● Ecobrick — Producing ‘ecobricks’ constructed from plastics and non-recyclable wastes, which are the components that are predominantly near the water, are being used as an alternative to hollow blocks for building different infrastructures (Simonette, 2019).
Meanwhile, the quality of soil in the world is deteriorating as it continues to lose nutrients due to toxins and mismanaged ways of effectively cultivating the land. Nonetheless, multiple methods transpire to combat the continuity of it, including:
❖ Stopping Deforestation — A fertile rate of soil can further develop wildlife because the land is considered a necessity for the ecosystem where their primary source of nourishment comes from (Fanimal, n.d.). Accordingly, having enough space for humans and other species to coexist should be remembered since wildlife has a habitat that humanity should not subjugate (Endangered Species Coalition, n.d.).
❖ Crop Rotation — Alternating crop planting on specific lands by coordinating the vegetation to their seasons can help the soil to escalate its nutrients and diminish the pests and crop diseases on those lands (Dumitrescu, 2016).
Unguaranteed Hour of Environmental Respiration
It cannot be denied that the wide impact of civilization primarily causes the expansion of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Activities such as Earth Hour do not combat the continuous expansion of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere by reducing the consumption of electricity or other similar sources of harmful greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale; instead, the use of candles during the total electricity shutdown may increase the released amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Completely shutting off all lights for one hour is not an effective option if people truly desire a sustainable future for all of humanity and the Earth. A solution to the environmental problem that requires people to switch off the lights and use alternatives will only appeal to those who are well-heeled and comfortable with their access to electricity.
Consequently, the media’s role in raising environmental awareness and bringing clear understanding to this kind of movement has an effect on the individuals’ opinions.
The media is a powerful instrument for communicating with the general public about environmental problems that are occurring all over the world. Through being critical in the dissemination of information, the public can be mobilized, and environmental conservation and sustainable practices can be implemented.
Eco-warriors should take advantage of the widespread usage of media in today’s generation, particularly social media, in order to rapidly address the environmental crisis. Anyhow, media users must remember to utilize technology responsibly as it also increases carbon emissions.
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