Activist Project

On March 29, 2008, Canadians joined communities all around the world in turning off their lights for Earth Hour, which was organized and sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). During this hour, Toronto`s energy consumption was reduced by about 5%, which is a significant reduction when you consider how large the city is. Earth Hour, however, goes beyond the success of this one hour of darkness and reduction in energy use to spread awareness of environmental issues.

I first learned about Earth Hour in early March while I was working for the Peel District School Board. I was asked to write an informational letter about Earth Hour so that parents and students would have the option of participating. While writing this letter, I researched Earth Hour quite a bit, learning what it was about, what its goals were and what other countries were participating in it.

I was really intrigued by the idea of Earth Hour because I thought it was a great way of spreading awareness of environmental issues. I participated on March 29, turning off all the lights in my apartment. I also convinced by boss to turn off almost half the lights in our store (a Loblaws grocery store) for the hour. I felt like I made a significant contribution to Earth Hour.
There is also a Facebook group established about Earth Hour. Many people in this group believe that Earth Hour should be held monthly, if not weekly or even daily. They believe that this would go beyond the simple symbolism of Earth Hour to make a significant impact on our global energy consumption. There are also people who criticize Earth Hour for being an outlet where people who do very little to be environmentally friendly on a regular basis can participate for one hour and act as if they are environmentally conscious.

I think that Earth Hour is a great way to spread awareness of an issue that is currently happening all over the world. It creates awareness of energy consumption by organizing an event that people can feel good about participating in. We are given the opportunity to be an activist – even if only for one hour – while doing very little. I can say that I felt good about myself after Earth Hour because I felt that I participated in something worthwhile and made a small difference. I have also learned that, just be turning off any lights I don`t need and watching my energy consumption, I can make a difference on a daily basis.

WWF is a great organization that does a lot in terms of conservation. They make it easy for people to get involved so that they can feel as if they are truly making a difference. I think this is the most important aspect of an activist group: when they allow the public to participate but make it easy for them to do. This will encourage more people to get involved and will create more awareness of an issue in the public eye.