Making every hour an Earth Hour

On March 27 this year, 126 countries - including 400 cities, towns and municipalities - observed Earth Hour by switching off their lights for 60 minutes. The idea was to save millions of megawatt-hours of electricity in a collective bid to reduce carbon emissions and have some impact on global warming. In Dubai alone, we saved 170 megawatt-hours of energy, which means we reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 102,000kg, according to the figures issued by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) - impressive statistics achieved in just one hour in one city of the world. Collectively, the results were spectacular. Yet we choose a wasteful lifestyle over conservation for the rest of the year.

It is perhaps worthwhile to ask ourselves why we choose to be wasteful 364 days of the year and choose one hour on the 365th day to try to correct the excesses of the other days. Is Earth Hour and Earth Day just going to be a green fad and nothing beyond that?

A few generations ago, conservation was a way of life. People believed in taking only what they needed, respected nature and condemned wastage.

For my grandmother, every hour of the 92 years she spent on earth was an Earth Hour. She would rise from her bed early morning at 3am to switch off the fans and open our windows, recycle old clothes to make bags and quilts, take not more than half a bucket of water to bathe and eat just one kind of vegetable serving for one meal. These were a few of the many thoughtful measures she adopted in her life, not because she did not have money to spend on herself; she believed in frugal living as that's what her conscience told her. For many of us who may have lived with their grandparents this must be a familiar tale.

However, today we need a lot of coaxing to pick just one hour in a year to respect Mother Earth.

The statistics of our indiscriminate usage of natural resources are alarming. The UAE has one ofthe highest carbon footprints in the world where a single individual produces over 27.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, according to the figures provided by Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT), an indicator for climate change developedby the World Resources Institute, Washington.

Somehow, over the last couple of decades, the message of conservation got buried under an avalanche of material desires as we put our planet through unimaginable stress. To counter that, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) came up with the idea of observing Earth Hour and Earth Day. Every year on March 27, the entire world thinks about energy-saving for an hour, switching off lights and slipping into conservation mode. On Earth Day, which falls on April 29, the eco-conscious slow down to recycle, reuse and save our natural resources so the planet may survive.

Does it work?

At the Earth Hour introduction initiative held at the Radisson Blu hotel, Dubai Media City, on March 22, Ida Tillisch, the marketing director of Emirates Wildlife Society (in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund) or EWS-WWF, very succinctly explained the sentiment behind the exercise: "The Earth Hour is an important reminder of what can be done when people unite and take action. It highlights the possibilities of change and the significance of how much energy is saved if we all turn off non-essential lights and electricity daily."

Razzan Khalifa Al Mabarak, the managing director of EWS-WWF, seconded the sentiment: "Earth Hour is an important reminder that we can all make a difference every day in the reduction of energy consumption and in saving our planet, and vitally, we should all make the effort every day. It is about highlighting the possibilities for change and encouraging long-term actions that will reduce the carbon footprint of individuals, groups, companies, governments and nations on a continuing, permanent basis."

The most important thing about Earth Hour is not that it is one hour of discipline and concern for our planet. Earth Hour is symbolic of what can be done every hour ofour lives. People can make a difference by incorporating what they learn during that one hour into their lifestyles by being aware of their carbon footprints and taking small steps towards sustainability.

"It is important to note that everything we consume adds to our ecological footprint. There are so many easy steps each one of us can take every day in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle," adds Razzan.

"Consume less as well as make wiser choices when consuming. For example, stop wasting. Do not have the lights and air conditioning on when not required; use less water when bathing, watering gardens, washing cars, washing up and rinsing vegetables. Think about the type of transportation you use, and whether the trip really is necessary. If there is an option to take public transport or car pool it is a way to reduce the consumption of petrol. It also includes thinking of what you are purchasing, and avoid buying products that have been flown in from across the planet, or made from non-sustainable material,"

Friday spoke to a few people from different countries to understand how we, as collective protectors of our planet, could make a difference by sensitising ourselves to the needs of our planet and making small, but meaningful differences in our lives that could work towards saving millions of units of energy and reduce our carbon emission.

At the Doha Green and Sustainability Summit that recently concluded on April 11, eco conservationists from around the world presented their strategies on everyday sustainability. Among them was Jerry Yudelson, a green building and green marketing specialist from the US and an expert in the LEED green building rating systems. When contacted regarding the significance of Earth Hour, he felt it was important to rally the interest of everyone by making the event a celebratory cause. "Everything that raises awareness of energy use and creates a feeling that global warming is an issue for the entire world to address together, is useful in my opinion."

He agreed that people need to adapt the Earth Hour model to their everyday life and conserve energy wherever they can. It is possible to make small, yet meaningful adjustments that do not pinch us and yet go a long way towards establishing sustainable-living practices in society.

"At some point, significant adjustments have to be made. However, most of us in developed countries can easily find 20 to 30 per cent reductions in resource consumption in our daily activities without too much discomfort,"he explained. "If we can do something for an hour, we certainly can do something every minute, if we care for our planet. It all starts with you. If you don't do it, no one will. As Gandhi said, ‘Become the change you wish to see in the world.' While government programmes and economic incentives can be useful, they will falter in the long run without individual initiative."

Yudelson illustrates his point by citing the many adaptations he has made to his life. "At home, I have 3kW of solar electric power and a solar water heater. We have lowered energy and water consumption by 20 per cent and collect our rainwater for use in the garden. We drive a hybrid car with 40 miles per gallon (about 17 km/litre) fuel economy. We recycle all household waste that qualifies."

Darcy Hitchcock, the US-based author of the award-winning book, The Business Guide to Sustainability, and more recently The Step by Step Guide to Sustainability Planning, was also at the conference. Her company, Axis Performance Advisors, helps organisations implement sustainable business practices. Speaking to Friday about the significance of Earth Hour and the need to make people more sensitive to conservation issues, she said she felt it was important to hold such public events to elicit greater awareness: "I think of this as a media event. It seems we need to have an event for the media to bring something to people's attention. It's also a symbolic gesture. Alone, Earth Hour doesn't make a big difference — but we can build on it. In Portland, Oregon, where I live, we have special days when we block off roads in one area of the city from car traffic and encourage people to get on their bikes. It's a big celebration. People start to see it's not that hard to gofive miles; maybe they could biketo work after all!"

Once people realise that it is not so difficult to revert to simple living which is sustainable, they actually might be able to reduce their carbon footprints and have some long-term effect on global warming. Darcy gives her suggestions: "All of us can make little decisions every day that affect the earth. When you're going out to eat, you can choose a restaurant that offers local produce and you can choose a vegetarian meal which is generally easier on the earth than meat. Or if you want to eat fish or meat, ask if it has been certified as sustainable.

"You can choose to walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator," she continues. "You can take a bag to the grocery store instead of getting plastic bags. You can drink water from the tap, not buy bottled water or soft drinks. You can take vacations closer to home that focus on healthy activities (biking, kayaking). You can capture water from your shower [that which you spill until the water heats up] and use it on house plants. You can live in a smaller place and use fans instead of air conditioning. You can use fewer electronic gadgets, all needing to be recharged, or at least unplug them. You can buy the most energy-efficient appliances and electronics. You can take the bus or train instead of a plane. The list goes on and on.

"These small actions do add up, especially if many people dothem. But alone, they may not be enough. We need to change a few ‘design mistakes' in our society: moving away from fossil fuels as a source of energy, eliminating toxic chemicals, protecting/conserving our natural resources [water, fisheries, forests, soil, and so on.] These may require more significant changes in our society.

"But the everyday decisions we make can buy us time with little or no sacrifice; sometimes they even make our lives better!"

Darcy believes that most people are usually interested in ventures that can save them a few bucks and once that incentive is in place, the motivation is effortless.

"To inculcate sound sustainability habits in people, we have to make it easy or profitable, and we have to make it a social norm. Take recycling. If people have to store up a year's worth of cans and bottles in their garage and then haul them somewhere, most won't bother. But if you give them a bin, pick it up with their garbage, and if it costs them less if they recycle instead of sending trash to the landfill, most will do it. And if it becomes a social norm, an expectation, that of course you recycle, people will come along.

"We can use the markets too by embedding the real cost of goods into their prices. When the sustainable option costs less than the non-sustainable one (either because you internalised externalities or used green taxes) you can shift people's behaviour rapidly. Water is an issue in Qatar, I understand. Some people are advocating block pricing. The first block of water, [the amount] you'd need for everyday basic needs, would be very inexpensive so no one would go without. The next block would be quite a bit more expensive. Then if you want to be profligate about water, it would cost a fortune! Pricing like this encourages conservation and can still be socially just."

Darcy ardently believes in practising what she preaches in her own business that provides sustainability solutions for others. "My business has a relatively low footprint. We analysed where our biggest environmental impacts were and found they were mostly about climate change. So we buy green power, we measure and report the percentage of business trips we take via alternative transportation -to encourage that behaviour - and then we offset all the remaining direct carbon emissions by purchasing carbon offsets. And we shifted our mission from general organisational development consulting to sustainability consulting, being an advocate for the cause. Ultimately this will have a larger impact than managing our own internal impacts. If we can get municipalities and corporations to adopt more sustainable practices, we can really make a difference!"

Change begins with one person at a time and each one of us can walk that extra mile out of our comfort zone to be able to do that.To inculcate sound conservation practices in our lives, the EWS-WWF initiated the Heroes campaign in the UAE last year. Here they have created role models among children and adults and through them send out the message of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle' to homes, schools and work environments.

Razzan points out: "Earth Hour directly links with the EWS-WWF campaign, Heroes of the UAE. The campaign mission is to bring awareness to and reduce this country's high [impact on the environment] by encouraging residents, businesses and governments to take action on their water and electricity consumption, and provide a sustainable UAE for future generations.

"We must all be visible leaders and demonstrate commitment to energy and water conservation and to use our knowledge to teach the public about climate change and the ways residents can reduce their ecological footprint."

With this campaign, EWS-WWF is encouraging residents in the UAE to take action every day and live more sustainable lifestyles. It provides tips and information to people and organisations interested in contributing to the fight against climate change. After the success of Earth Hour 2010 in the UAE, Razzan feels we need to look at the bigger picture and address issues such as water conservation which are more piquant here in the desert.

"Although we obviously welcome any energy savings which may have resulted from Earth Hour, the over-arching aim is to give communities and individuals the chance to take part in a global event to demand action on climate change, so while the actual hour of Earth Hour is symbolic, the campaign calls for global action on a permanent basis. For such everyday action, the Heroes of the UAE campaign is an opportunity for individuals residing in the UAE to take action by joining the campaign and start saving energy every day and make an effort to help tackle climate change. We all have to play a role - individuals, businesses and governments.

"From all of the planet's water resources, only 1 per cent is available as freshwater. This needs to be shared among everyone on the planet, so it is important to recognise water as a precious and scarce resource. Especially here in the UAE where we get very little rain and, except for some rare permanent wadis in the UAE mountains, we have virtually no fresh, free-flowing water; no rivers, lakes or streams.

"As a result, the level of the water table is dropping lower and lower.

In fact, overall the UAE's water table has dropped by one full metre per year since the 1980s. Even more alarming, in the Al Ain region ofthe Abu Dhabi emirate, a groundwater level loss of 61m to 93m in 10 years has been observed.

"The Heroes of the UAE campaign is addressing the issue of water and providing tips on how to help conserve water."

There are a thousand ways in which to cut back wastage, pare down our needs and help the planet to rejuvenate. Every small step we take will make a big difference to the earth but will not dramatically alter our lifestyle. But if we do not make the small adjustments willingly now, we might be forced to make huge compromises later on. The choice is ours.

An ideal home

To commemorate Earth Day on April 22, the National Geographic, Abu Dhabi, channel launched the interactive consumer connect project Bait Al Mithali - meaning ‘efficient home'. At the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi a model of this efficient home was set up for everyone to see and learn tips and techniques that could be followed in his or her own home to conserve energy, be more efficient and be inspired to make a difference to the planet.

Those who missed this 12-day display which ended May 1, can log on to www.natgeotv.ae to navigate their way through a virtual home, educate themselves and then sign a pledge to do the same in their own homes. For every room there are a couple of interesting tips.

• In the living room, turn the television off when it is not being watched.
• Use newspapers and magazines to wrap up gifts.
• Reuse plastic bags whenever going shopping as manufacturing a plastic bag produces enormous amounts of carbon.
• By keeping all pots and pans coveredwhile cooking, youcould cut down onenergy expenditureby approximately90 per cent.
• Keep food in the refrigerator covered tostop moisture from escaping. This prevents excessive power demands on the compressor.
• Always try to run the washing machine with a full load of laundry to save electricity.

There are more suggestions available on the National Geographic website.

According to Rohit D'Silva, general manager, National Geographic, Abu Dhabi: "Our mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. No one else can implement eco conservation in a person's life, except for the individual himself.

"We are driving home a message. Earth Day is an important event for us, but by adapting these changes, people can make everyday an Earth Day. We want people to know that small steps can go a long wayin making a real difference to our planet.

"We would like people to click on the pledge icon and make a promise to follow some steps mentioned on the virtual home on the Natgeo website."

Did you know?

• Flicking off the switch for just one hour in Dubai is equal to taking 20 cars off the road for an entire year.
• The UAE has the highest rate of electricity and water consumption per capita annually.
• In the past two years through its participation in the annual Earth Hour event, Dubai has managed to save 246,000kW electricity and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 148,000kg.
• Earth Hour was initiated in 2007 by the World Wild Life Fund, Sydney and individuals, families and businesses were asked to switchoff their lights, televisions and other non-essential appliances for an hour at 8.30pm on March 27.