| The energy saving hour is an event that occurs once | | | | the younger generation the value of energy as they |
| every year. Over 182 cities from all over the world | | | | will be in our position one day and unless we make |
| take part, and its purpose is to promote the idea of | | | | them understand the importance of energy saving, it |
| energy saving and increase its importance and | | | | is unlikely that they will do so in the future. |
| awareness. The event is also known as the Earth | | | | We should all take part in the Earth hour event. It is |
| Hour, and it is due to occur next on March 26th 2011 | | | | totally free of cost and it is definitely worth one hour |
| on a global scale. | | | | a year. |
| In the earth hour event, people, companies, and | | | | If we consider the (increasing) size of the Earth Hour |
| anyone who is interested in participating is required to | | | | event, we will notice that there must be a reason |
| turn off as many appliances and machines as possible | | | | why so many parts of the world are taking part. |
| to save energy for a whole hour, so that we can | | | | People have different motives for tackling global |
| appreciate the energy we have and learn to use it | | | | climate change - some are concerned that very large |
| correctly and efficiently. | | | | numbers of habitats, plants and animals are becoming |
| It is important to spread the word of the energy | | | | extinct, while everyone who is aware of this is |
| saving hour event. This is why participants often go | | | | concerned that wiping out even us humans is well |
| out and tell others what they are doing and why. | | | | within the range of global warming's destructive |
| The earth hour has the potential of saving very large | | | | potential. |
| amounts of energy - 70 tonnes is below the normal | | | | Modern industrialization is also making a huge impact |
| amount for each of the 182 cities that took part in | | | | on global climate change. For example, the |
| 2010. | | | | papermaking industry carries out deforestation (the |
| Here are some records that you might find useful in | | | | removing of trees for paper manufacturing) on a |
| understanding how much the earth hour can actually | | | | very wide scale - in the U.S., papermaking industries |
| help. The figures may vary depending on sources, | | | | remove almost a billion trees for this purpose every |
| but here some examples of the accepted amounts:o | | | | year. On top of that, the proportion of trees that |
| Bangkok: 165,000,000 Watts saved; equal to | | | | are used to make paper on a global scale, which is |
| approximately 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide | | | | eventually wasted, totals to over 5 trillion. |
| emission.o Toronto: 900,000,000 Watts saved; equal | | | | Now here's where a bit of math and biology comes |
| to approximately 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide | | | | into play. A healthy tree can absorb about 40 tonnes |
| emission.o Luzon, Philippines: 102,000,000 Watts | | | | of CO2 in one year of its lifetime. By literally wasting |
| saved; equal to approximately 70 tonnes of carbon | | | | 5 trillion of them, through wasting the paper that |
| dioxide emission. | | | | they make, we prevent the absorption of an extra |
| As you can see, the smallest of these figures is the | | | | 20,000,000,000,000 kilograms of CO2, in a single year. |
| example given in the title and it is attached to a | | | | This is not an exaggeration! Even a single adult human |
| relatively small area. With the demands of energy | | | | produces 2600 kilograms of CO2 in a year! |
| increasing every year, it is obvious that turning off | | | | If we start taking all these massive numbers and the |
| our lights, appliances, business machines, computers, | | | | massive effects of global climate change deeply into |
| TVs and anything else that is not needed at the time | | | | consideration, it becomes really obvious that the |
| (or that we can make do without) will only save | | | | argument "what can I do to save energy, I'm just |
| more and more energy as time goes by. | | | | one person" becomes baseless and valueless. |
| Even bigger than the amount of energy the earth | | | | It is the responsibility of everyone (who is able to do |
| hour saves is the message it carries - if 182 locations | | | | so) to save energy to the best of their ability, and to |
| are taking part, we can see that saving energy is an | | | | spread its word as far as they can. If we all take |
| endeavor that is taken seriously by many, many | | | | time to contribute in the earth hour event, we can |
| people and organizations across the world. It is the | | | | easily save way over 70 tonnes of CO2 in our local |
| perfect opportunity for us to not only save energy | | | | areas every Earth Hour event. |
| and spread the word of doing so, but also to teach | | | | |