Unplug This Blog!
RSS Feeds
March 30, 2010
Earth Hour, Day, Week ... why not Earth Decade?
Posted by Rob Klovance
Earth Hour has passed, complete with a collective 1.04% cut in electricity use across B.C. for that one, darkened hour on the night of March 27. And right around the corner is Earth Day (April 22), and the events wrapped around that day, which are known collectively as Earth Week.
It can all be a tad overwhelming, and confusing, for the Average Joe and Jane, even if all three events are beneficial to conservation awareness. We support WWF Earth Hour, in particular, at BC Hydro because it centres on electricity conservation, and we've found that residents and business owners learn quite a lot from the Earth Hour exercise.
Still, BC Hydro's message is, as always, to ensure that you're finding ways to save electricity year-round. Ditto for all conservation measures, which is why I'm wondering if we don't need some sort of longer-term commitment.
What about Earth Decade?
Imagine what we might accomplish if everyone from the federal government to industry and homeowners were to embrace a 10-year commitment to action on the environment. After that decade, we could assess the impact of the measures, adjust our targets and get back to work.
Rather than being considered one of the bad guys on climate change (remember Copenhagen?), we'd emerge as a shining example of what's possible.
OK, so it's a bit of a dream. But at least on a personal level, we can start working toward such a cause. And the upcoming Earth Week (April 17-25) seems a good place to start.
Here in Vancouver, the Vancouver Aquarium is running a full week of events, including "Goodbye Salmon Fry", in which you get to name and release your own young salmon. Among the other highlights is an "Eco-Explorer Scavenger Hunt" for a chance to win a sea otter encounter for four.
Check out the list of B.C. Earth Day-related events to see if there's something that appeals to you in your region. Here are a few examples of events on that list:
- Wild Wonders: Selections from the International Wildlife Film Festival, April 9 in Victoria, April 22 in Vancouver, April 28, in Nelson
- Tri-Cities Children's Earth Festival, April 24, Anmore
- Earth Day at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, April 24, North Vancouver
- Earth Day Challenge, April 25, Quesnel
- Spring Cleanup, April 25, Prince George
- Earth Day Celebration, April 24, Squamish
- Earth Day Vancouver, April 24, Vancouver
Rob Klovance is managing editor of bchydro.com.
