Earth Hour, observed globally yesterday from 8.30pm local time, was a big success, going by the fact that more than 170 countries and territories and close to 1,200 landmarks and 40 Unesco world heritage sites participated.
Earth Hour, which began in Sydney in 2007 but quickly went global, encourages citizens, communities, businesses and organisations to switch the lights off for an hour to highlight the plight of the planet.
Earth Hour’s goal is not to achieve measurable electricity savings but to raise awareness of the need for sustainable energy use, and this year also to demand action to halt planet-harming climate change.
In Qatar, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and a large group of its partners in the public and private sectors, including hotels and tourist establishments, joined the world in marking Earth Hour.
All non-essential lights in these establishments were switched off or dimmed from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. Hotel guests also participated in this global campaign by turning off or dimming lights in their rooms or hotel apartments.
The usually well-lit Doha skyline also looked different during Earth Hour, thanks to all the companies and establishments that joined the initiative.
QTA said it “seeks to emphasise the importance of the Qatari tourism sector’s commitment to preserving energy and the environment as well as raise public awareness about the importance of Earth Hour and the need to protect the environment”.
A drive through the bustling commercial areas of Doha after nightfall will prove that lot of energy is being wasted in many buildings, which remain lit from top to bottom. It may be a beautiful sight to behold, but the practice is an avoidable wastage of precious electricity.
When viewed from outside, it is evident that almost all these buildings are deserted with absolutely no activity going on. The office chairs are vacant and there is not even a soul in sight. But all the lights will be on.
Similar is the case with many households throughout the country. There are lights on the compound walls on the exterior walls of the houses and they remain lit throughout the night, even when street lights provide ample lighting throughout.
Those responsible might say that they have replaced all the conventional bulbs with CFL lamps or LED lights and therefore the energy used is very little. Well, switching to energy efficient lighting is a welcome move every business establishment and household ought to do. But the question is whether lights are being switched on unnecessarily, irrespective of the energy they consume.
There is a limit to which the government could enforce energy saving regulations. It is up to each individual to practice energy efficient measures. Energy saved is equal to energy produced. Less the amount of energy used translates into a proportionately less strain on the production system.
Whether we pay for energy from our pockets or not, let each one of us make it a habit to minimise energy consumption. Let us make switching off a habit, when energy use is not essential, and in the process help our planet to heal.
