Design for life man hour: It's not just about one event, it's about long-term change.

Canberra Times
Monday 17/3/2008 Page: 9

MORE THAN 2 MILLION Sydneysiders and 2200 businesses were involved in the first Earth Hour; this year, with the global involvement, the number of potential participants are in the multimillions. But why should anyone turn out the lights for an hour on March 29? No one pretends it's going to save the planet (although it will save a substantial amount of electricity). But what the big turn-off does is turn us on - to the need to change our wasteful ways.

This is the underlying ambition of Earth Hour. It's not about creating an hour of near darkness, it's to emphasise the link between energy use and climate change. We want to turn on our lights; we need power to do so; power has to be generated; the vast majority of power is generated from burning coal; burning coal produces greenhouses gases; increased greenhouse gases are overheating the atmosphere.

The end results are chaotic weather patterns, more severe and more frequent droughts and floods, bleached coral reefs, rising sea levels and a melting North Pole. Even worse, the changes that seem so small, say a degree or two warmer than a decade ago, can make an enormous difference. Animals are now emerging from hibernation before their food sources are available, plants are flowering before pollinators have become active, birds that breed to coincide with life cycles of certain insects find their timing askew.

It sounds bad, because it is, but there are plenty of reasons to be positive. Many governments and communities have already made big changes to reduce emissions. The use of solar and wind power is on the increase. Other renewable energy sources are being investigated. Millions of dollars are being spent exploring ways to bury carbon dioxide or to produce cleaner coal.

But more has to be done and politicians need to be brave enough to make tough decisions. If those politicians know that a couple of million people in their homeland have joined in Earth Hour, they can be confident that the people will support the hard decisions and will applaud leaders who have the will to act.

The beauty of Earth Hour is how easy it is to join in. You can register on the Earth Hour website (www.earthhour.org) and get emailed updates and tips - or you just turn off your lights for an hour at 8pm on March 29. You can also tell your friends and relatives, workmates and neighbours and encourage them to switch off their lights, as well as any unnecessary appliances. And then you can get the beeswax candles and, of course, an ice bucket for the wine and you're ready.

Last year, there were candlelit street parties, night picnics on the harbour foreshore and night dog walking. A number of restaurants served dinners by candlelight; at Glass Brasserie, in the Hilton Hotel, Sydney, diners were so entranced the effect was repeated for St Valentine's Day and will be done again on March 29.

Earth Hour is about more than 60 minutes. It's about reducing emissions 24 hours a day. Much has been said, and read, about changing light globes, turning off unused appliances and switching to green energy alternatives. There are other easy ways to save energy. In the kitchen, check the rubber seal on your fridge by putting a piece of paper in the door to see that it is held firmly. Cut vegetables into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking process.

Avoid gas flames spilling up the sides of pots - turn the burner down to keep flames on the bottom. If cooking in the oven, avoid opening the door unnecessarily. In the laundry, only wash with a full load, or reduce the water level settings. Wash in cold water. Use a clothes line rather than a dryer whenever possible. In the living room, buy a fan or, even better, install a ceiling fan (ditto for the bedroom).

Make use of natural light by moving furniture so you can read by the window. Lighter coloured walls will reflect light back into the room, rather than absorbing it. Outside, compost and/or get a worm farm. It's the perfect way to recycle kitchen scraps and nourish the garden. And on March 29, turn out the lights and enjoy being part of the growing awareness that we have to be nice to this planet of ours.