Thanks to everyone that participated in Earth Hour 2009. A pretty cool, coordinated event around the world. I was kinda surprised by how many people were unaware of Earth Hour as I talked with folks last week. Then, our phones started ringing and texts came in from various members of our network who were celebrating Earth Hour. One of my friends even told me how they had done this last year and were all geared up for it this year! Cool...
I thought I'd share what my daughter McKenna asked me. She said, "Daddy why are all the lights turned out?" Excellent question. She was actually a little scared of the dark at first. My other daughter Marley, no problem there, she just went on eating dinner. I told McKenna it was like a savings account for the planet. Everyone around the world was turning off their lights in their homes and businesses for one hour between 8:30-9:30 PM this Saturday night to cast their vote for the planet.
According to Earth Hour, by switching your lights off you vote for Earth or by leaving them on you vote for global warming. The goal is 1 billion people for 2009. It started in Sydeny in 2007 with 2.2 million homes and business switching off their lights for an hour. In 2008, it went global with 50 million people switching off their lights.
My conversation with Mckenna continued. We talked about how here in Florida this is also an excellent reminder that hurricane season is coming. McKenna was just a month old when we were hit by Charlie and two other hurricanes in 2004 that left us without power for a few days and in the dark. Also, we talked about how resourceful you must be on an island with such limited resources. We talked about how we usually ate dinner while in the Bahamas only by candle light because they didn't like to use electricity unnecessarily. "Oh yeah Dad, I remember there being not one but a bunch of candles on the table," chimes McKenna. Cool, I think she and I are now on the same page.
So, I went back to my savings account thought. You see McKenna, the earth only has what it has. There's only so much clean water and natural resources that when we use them up they're gone. So, I said what you chose to reduce and not use is like a savings account. Later in life that light bulb you turned off or even the tree you helped save or the bath you shortened, may well be something that you need then! "Yeah Daddy, it's like my Piggy Bank right?" "Yep, McKenna! I think your getting the concept of conserving and reducing," I comment to her. Now, I think it's beginning to be a contest in the house. I've been caught throwing things away! I'm also reminding others about switching lights off. We'll see how the Reid's do.
So, our family voted for Earth. What a cool place to be part of. Global warming, climate change or whatever the buzz word is now, just equates back to me of how important it is to just help your friends and family be more responsible, make better choices. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We've heard it chimed to us in the news and in songs but have we actually done anything about it? The statistics say not the majority of us. So please help pass the word. Go CRAZY GREEN™! Join us now and pass the word to your family and friends.
