Will turning off the lights for one hour really make a difference in combating climate change? Unlikely. However, if you plan to participate in the Earth Hour event happening on March 28th from 8:30 pm – 9:30pm, you will be doing so to send a message – that the sum of our individual actions is important and CAN make a big difference.
What can you do during that hour? Loads, but from the perspective of a parent with young children, here are some special suggestions:
- Go stargazing – living in an urban centre bathed in light makes it very difficult to see the stars but if most of them are off, then you might have a better chance of seeing them!
- Go on a night safari – take a walk in your neighbourhood park or ravine and look (and listen!) for creatures in your area. Invite your friends’ kids – safety in numbers! I know that my 3 year old will want to dress up like she is on a safari, with a big hat and khaki shorts.
- Camp indoors – pull out the sleeping bags and tents and set up camp in your living room – instead of ghost stories, talk about what else we can do to slow down climate change, because the effects of climate change are scary enough!
- Homemade candles – get honeycomb sheets of beeswax and wicking from your local craft store to roll your very own candle and then burn the candle during Earth Hour. While watching the candle burn, you can talk about how bees have been affected by climate change.
Happy Earth Hour! And remember, this is just a prelude to the BIG day on April 22!
