I recently wrote two articles that will help you save electricity and help you make some money by recycling your electronic junk. I discovered that these were very timely because Earth Hour is once again happening and it’s now a global movement. Last year, more than 2 million residents from Sydney flicked the light switch and turned appliances off stand-by and enjoyed an hour of quiet darkness.

Earth Hour addresses global warming and wants to show that together, our small actions can make a difference. Everyone can participate in this project by simply turning off the lights and unplugging their appliances for one hour on March 29, 2008 from 8pm - 9pm. This will take place in over 20 cities around the world, including Manila. This project is spearheaded by WWF, the conservation organization. It is a global climate change initiative which calls on the participation of individuals and businesses around the world, and its aim is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.

Why do we need to act on global warming?

Because global warming is one of the greatest threats the world is facing today. The world’s continued reliance on electricity sourced from coal-fired power stations is causing a dramatic increase in the Earth’s temperature, resulting in rising sea levels, an increase in drought and severe storms, and massive changes to the environment we all rely on to survive.

So absolutely no electricity on March 29th?

Well, not really. The main point of the campaign is to show people and companies how easy it is to take action against global warming. This does not mean you have to turn off your refrigerator, which could be inconvenient. It is only encouraged to switch off your non-essential lights to make a statement and then changing our electric consumption habits in the long term.

How does the earth benefit from this event?

Last year, the energy saved during Earth Hour in Sydney alone achieved a reduction of 10.2% (more than double of the target of 5%) of carbon dioxide emissions. But we have to remember that the main objective of this campaign is to continue to be energy efficient beyond Earth Hour, making small actions everyday to achieve our goal in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of the Pinoy bloggers who are participating in this event: Ambo, Ang Sa Wari Ko, Banco de Reyna, Bayanihan Blogs, Gabriel, Iris, Lester, Noemi and Pinoy Centric, ProGobbler, you’re next!

For more information, visit the official Earth Hour website.

To know how much you’ll be saving by turning off your lights and electric appliances for an hour, visit the MERALCO website and use their Meralco Appliance Calculator.

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