What Earth Hour’s All About

Earth Hour, the event which calls on the world to switch off their lights for one hour on 27 March 2010, is coming soon. Although criticised by some (including us!), Earth Hour still is a tremendous show of concern about the state of our world.

WWF-Malaysia’s representatives, Devan Subramaniam, Corporate Relations Senior Manager, Marketing Department and Melissa Chin, Climate Change Coordinator, Conservation Department, explains what Earth Hour is all about.

Devan Subramaniam

CSRD: How successful was Earth Hour 2009 in Malaysia? What was the ratio of participation in relation to individuals, businesses or governmental bodies?

DS: Earth Hour 2009 was an important step in the fight against climate change. Hundreds of millions of people in over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off their lights in the largest climate event of all time.

In Malaysia, almost 75,000 individuals, 8 states and Federal Territories, and over 400 businesses and organizations officially signed up in support of Earth Hour 2009. Based on a drop in energy usage of 600MW during Earth Hour 2009, it was estimated that more than 6 million Malaysians participated in the event.

EH A2 Poster

Melissa Chin

CSRD: Although a great symbol of solidarity towards climate change, some have said that more could be done in terms of measuring the effectiveness of Earth Hour. What kind of measurement, if any, will be done in 2010?

MC: In 2009, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations called Earth Hour “the largest demonstration of public concern about climate change ever attempted”. Based on the drop in electricity use, it was estimated that an estimated 6 million Malaysians took part in Earth Hour 2009 although the official numbers of those that signed up at our website were considerably much lower.

Earth Hour is not a long-term solution to mitigate climate change. However, it is an important first step to generate awareness, interest and concern over the global threat of climate change. People will only be motivated to take effective action against environmental threats like climate change if they are first made aware of the issue through campaigns like Earth Hour. By signing up, you are agreeing that strong action needs to be taken to find a solution to the climate crisis.

For 2010, we still urge the public to sign up at our website, www.ehm.my so we would be able to keep them informed about conservation and climate change updates via our e-newsletters.

CSRD: Some have also said that switching off lights, although more visible, is not as effective as switching off air-conditions or heating units. What are your comments?

MC: Earth Hour is a symbolic event and is meant to unite people, companies and governments around the world through the very simple act of flipping a light switch. Unlike other appliances, the switching off of lights creates a visual impact that can easily be seen by everyone. Earth Hour is not meant as an energy saving exercise and in itself will not reduce our carbon footprint. Rather, it sends a signal to those in positions of power that we as individuals and communities demand action on climate change.

We hope that through events like Earth Hour, a growing number of people, governments and businesses will be aware and concern enough about the climate crisis to start making the necessary changes to be more carbon-efficient and to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change.

To support the cause, click here and pledge!

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