Dubai: If you really want to make a difference on Earth Hour, go beyond switching the lights off for 60 minutes. Make the switch to energy efficient lighting.
This is Emirates Wildlife Society-World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s (EWS-WF) call to action for this year’s Earth Hour in the UAE on March 29 at 8.30pm.
Earth Hour is an annual, global movement that started in 2007 and called on cities and homes to switch off their lights for one hour as part of their commitment to protecting the environment.
“Switching off for Earth Hour is really great. But what would make it much more powerful is if you can switch on the “light way”. That means, you switch on with energy efficient light bulbs,” Reem Al Thawadi, communications manager at EWS-WWF, told Gulf News.
Based on a study conducted EWS-WWF, switching to energy efficient lighting in the UAE could reduce carbon emissions by 940,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide or CO2 every year, which is equivalent to removing 165,000 cars off the road annually. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that causes global warming.
Besides huge environmental gains, switching to energy efficient lighting such as CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and halogen lamps could also benefit your pockets in the long run. They save at least 80 per cent of energy compared to incandescent bulbs.
By July 1, all energy-depleting lights or incandescent bulbs will be banned in the UAE market. The EWS-WWF helped the government formulate this new lighting standard that will help save Dh668 million on household electricity bills and government subsidies per year.
But Reem said households need not wait that long or wait for their bulbs to stop working before making the change.
“Between now and the 29th of March, if you can get familiar with these [energy efficient lighting] options, go and buy your bulbs. And then just make sure that when you switch on, you switch on the new way, the right way. Make a tangible, actual change this Earth Hour,” Reem said.
Cynics often criticise Earth Hour for not creating a lasting change in the world. But Reem said they are wrong. The UAE, a country that is one of the most wasteful of resources in the world, is steadily gaining ground in its campaign to become more sustainable.
Some developments and agencies in the UAE have also gone beyond the tradition hour-long Earth Hour. Dubai Silicon Oasis, for example, has been consistently doing its own Earth Hour every month for the past two years.
Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International have been switching off all non-essential lights for one hour every day since March 6. They will do this until the end of Earth Hour on March 29.
