I know how
much effort I have to put into my wind-up torch for a few minutes of dim
lighting. I know that sawing, splitting, stacking and keeping a large basket of
logs dry for a year will generate enough heat to cook the family supper. It also
heats a large cylinder of piping hot water, enough for a family of four to have
showers, that’s if we get our teenager to go last!
It’s good to
have these reminders that explain the effort involved in generating power for
heating, lighting and transport. So much is taken for granted at the flick of a
switch. Which is why Earth Hour is such a good thing, a reminder all round the
world when hundreds of millions of people from 135 countries put out the lights for an hour. This year it’s
Saturday 31st March at 8:30 pm.
What will I
do? If I was at home we could sit round a log fire with a wind-up radio and a
glass of last year’s bilberry wine. But
I’m not: I’m out giving a Natur Cymru illustrated talk to a local National Trust Association.
Maybe if I time my slides and talk to
finish bang on 8:30 I could extinguish the projector and light a candle. But then again my symbolic message would be lost on a sleeping audience!
If you are a
community doing something unusual for Earth Hour, why not enter the WWF community competition with a chance to earn either £1,000 or £300. If not, just turn down the power and enjoy mother earth au naturel. Maybe read a back edition of Natur Cymru by candlelight.
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