That time of the year..

It is that time of the year again! No, not the time of Yuletide, snow and cheesy movies showing love, humanity and kindness. It is that time of the year where nobody bothers switching off lights after leaving a room, sleeping double wrapped up in blanket when air conditioned rooms are intentionally set at 16 degrees C! This sheer wastage of power and recklessly leaving carbon foot print all over the place will go on all the way through Diwali, Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year until the last Saturday of the month of March, on Earth Day. It is at this time that perfectly sane people will call friends to their homes for birthday parties just to sit in semi darkness with only the brightness of wax filled lit tea cups for light. For 1 whole long hour, the young generation will insists on doing usual chores, besides littering, exhaling CO2, cruising in their petrol powered oil guzzling automobiles and scrolling on their nickel battery powered smart phones and other digital devices.
Commercially minded radio stations and other media will join the bandwagon and trumpet the countdown to the auspicious hour. Suddenly the need to conserve hits high on their agenda.
After that one 'long' hour, it is business as usual with the usual comfort and hustle and bustle of daily living.....

Losing your marbles over the Big Blue Marble!

As far as I can see, the Earth Hour this year was a non-event! At the said time, I was finishing my meal at a Chinese Restaurant enjoying the chef's freshly cooked cuisines. Apparently, the owners were also enjoying brisk business and the last thing on their minds was to off all the lights and chase away all the customers or potentially  hungry patrons to his shop. It was bad for business if someone were to choke on his fish bone!
earlier just before leaving the house to go off for dinner, my younger son was all excited about contributing to the Earth Hour by dimming all lights. Little did he realise that in the rush to rush off for dinner, he had left his room light and fan on. So, as a responsible parent, I had to educate him on bare facts about preserving Mother Nature. Just like buying expensive gifts on Mothers' Day does not proof your undying love to your mother, saving Mother Nature and reducing carbon footprint is a ongoing daily sacrifice. It is not about shutting down the lights for 1hour a year on Saturday in March and wasting energy 24/7 for the rest of the year. Our every activity hurts the environment in more than one way. Even rampant washing with oxidizing detergents hurt her too; and the pesticides that ensure continuous supply of food to our tables; and the fertilizers that upset the nitrogen cycle; and the fossil fuel and so on and so forth.
During the hour of supposed darkness, I had to drive through town to pick my daughter from the other side of town. It seem to me as it was business as usual and there was not a inkling that Earth Hour was in progress.