So I've been hearing on the Malaysian radio, from friends, from colleagues, from Facebook about Earth Hour. On March 28, you're supposed to turn off the lights and other electrical equipment in your place at 8:30pm. It is to remain off for one hour, an effort to promote awareness on global warming.
Then at 9:30pm, you can turn them back on again and resume whatever energy-consuming activity you were doing before 8:30. And what you've also been doing for the other 364 days a year.
It isn't Earth Day right now, and all that's on in my apartment (besides the fridge) is my bedroom light, the bathroom light in the corridor, and my flatmate's room light... whoops... he just went to bed. And of course, my computer.
And in 15 minutes time, all of it will be off when I go to bed for the day...
Looks like I practice this "Earth Hour" thing every day... and not just for an hour.
Frankly, this whole Earth Hour thing is some token feel-good activism, to help people think they've actually contributed to reduce global warming... that they are helping out. And in the other 364 days of the year... they're doing the same superfluous energy-wasting activities that they're used to.
So tell you what... come March 28, I'm gonna turn it all on. Every single damn light in my flat, for one hour. And maybe, I'll take my Oldsmobile out for a spin too. Crank up that V8. Drive from Bayan Baru to Batu Feringghi and back. The carburatored 8-cylinder engine of 1960's technology should generate enough carbon dioxide to melt the icecaps. Perhaps I can go snorkeling in an Alaskan coral reef before I'm 40...
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