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Opinion:  Spend an hour with hope

This weekend, Earth Hour approaches. Eco-concerned Calgarians are crossing their fingers hoping the city’s performance will improve over previous years. Last year, energy use decreased by a measly one per cent during Earth Hour, and in 2008 energy actually spiked.

This city is not known for its green initiatives, but hopefully 2010 will be the year that Calgarians get involved and turn out the lights.

The energy preserved during the 60-minute exercise will be momentarily banked and then gobbled up in a matter of minutes once the lights come back on. But the symbolism of Earth Hour is far more valuable than the actual energy saved.

The real significance of Earth Hour lies in the gesture towards our global community. By flicking off the TV and silencing the vacuum, Calgarians unite with the rest of the world in a meditative moment of awareness.

Landmarks like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the CN Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Rome’s Coliseum will dim for Earth Hour. The fact that such a feat can be organized and executed attests to the awesome power humankind has created with global communication technologies.

Earth Hour represents human connectedness, the ability to take action on a global level, and mostly, our influence, good and bad, as the sum of 6.8-billion individuals.

It is not difficult to participate in Earth Hour. There are no forms to fill out. You don’t need to have an extreme hairdo or live in a tree. There is no mandatory donation to Green Peace.

All you need to do is turn out the lights, open the blinds and appreciate the fact that for some reason, nature has provided moonlight for you and all the other wonderful creatures on the planet.

Earth Hour begins at 8:30 p.m. on March 27.

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