can one hour affect the climate?

but can one hour make a difference? 

hell, yes!

the coordinated response to the call to vote earth by switching off the lights last march 28 was overwhelming. unprecedented, even. a billiion people were expected to join the switch off by 830 pm local time, the philippines reportedly leading with record participation of 650 communities across the archipelago (http://tinyurl.com/cjeeqp).

familiar monuments and cityscapes are flipping the switch. imagine the eiffel tower of paris, the big ben of london, bird's nest of beijing and the egyptian pyramids, off. the bustling lights of hollywood, hongkong, sydney, off. how would earth look like from outer space at that moment? could be that darkness when we haven't discovered light bulbs and neon lights yet. an interesting wonder.

and yeah, so what?

although the switch off has a minute effect or no effect at all to the continued changing of the climate patterns across the globe, this act is more than a show but a call to all governments to make meaningful and sustainable steps to address the issue of climate change. and it should be done with a matter of priority, of urgency.

and america, being the gargantuan consumer of fossil fuels, and inevitably the leading carbon emitter, must make big steps. abandoning the kyoto protocol was its biggest mistake. sin no more for mother earth, mr. joe. not only america, but china, india, japan, europe are on the watchlist. the copenhagen conference climate (http://tinyurl.com/bq77mj) is pivotal as the world will watch how these governments intend to act on this issue.

we cannot afford a status quo.

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