Let There Be Dark

For now, let’s just say that the real meaning of the Earth Hour lies in its symbolism. It is possible to cut carbon emissions by moderated use of electricity. Big corporate houses in Australia make it a point to tell their employees to switch off the air-conditioning or their cubicle lights before leaving office. The same practice is now being adopted in schools and colleges. Parents are telling their children not to sleep with lights on. Teenagers are now switching off their laptop computers and televisions instead of leaving them in the idle mode. The change is coming. Slowly. The Earth Hour campaign helped plant a very basic seed in peoples’ minds: ‘We can save energy’. As we stare at the dark Harbor Bridge or the Golden Gate or the Statue of Liberty or the CN Tower, man’s testimonies of progression and advancement rising towards the inky black sky, we suddenly feel closer to nature. Almost primeval. Notice how beautiful the Milky Way looks from my terrace? Sure honey, the lights are out. Its Earth Hour now isn’t it!