Skip to main content

Contribute to Earth Hour campaign to save environment from Light Pollution


By Dr Gurinder Kaur*
Earth Hour is observed on March’s last Saturday every year in almost all countries of the world to make people aware about natural disasters due to climate change and their prevention. Earth Hour, an international event, is an hour long “light off” event. Excessive and non-essential use of outdoor artificial light, is affecting human health, wildlife behaviour and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects. It is going to be celebrated on March 27th, 2021 this year between 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm local time for an hour by turning off non-essential lights in homes, businesses and government establishments. As many as 2.2 million people celebrated Earth Hour for the very first time in 2007 in Sydney, Australia on March 31 from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm by turning off non-essential lights in their homes. The city of San Francisco in the United States of America also joined the Earth Hour campaign in October 2007 by turning off the non-essential lights for an hour.
Earth Hour caught popularity worldwide and has been celebrated internationally since 2008. The idea of ​​celebrating Earth Hour was initiated by members of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature to save the environment. In 2003, Australia was hit by a severe drought, which scientists attributed to the ever-increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In 2004, members of Australia’s World Wildlife Fund for Nature met Leo Burnett, director of a Sydney-based advertising company, to create a campaign with an idea of ​​turning off non-essential lights for just one hour every year to save the planet from environmental degradation. In 2006, Leo Burnett along with Sydney’s Mayor Clover Lord Moore and members of World Wildlife Fund Nature, worked hard to make the campaign a reality. The campaign was initially dubbed ‘The Big Flick’’ which was later renamed ‘Earth Hour’ to address turning off non-essential lights which are causing an increase in greenhouse gases.
Since 2008, Earth Hour has been celebrated on various themes. Starting from the theme ‘Dark City, Bright Idea’ in 2008 to ‘Connect to Earth’ theme in 2019. In 2020, the theme was ‘Climate and Sustainable Development’ with an emphasis on banning the use of disposable plastic products forever. Once used, these plastic items are thrown on rubbish heaps or dumped in water which are later consumed by animals leading to their premature deaths. 2021’s theme ‘Climate Change to Save Earth’ is a timely and straightforward message to all countries of the world. From the Industrial Revolution till now, human beings have changed 75 per cent of the earth in the name of economic growth of the human race to fulfill their aspirations. Dense forests have now been replaced by concrete jungles. Most of the wildlife is replaced by cars, vehicles and automobiles while birds are replaced by airplanes and spacecrafts. At the same time human beings through their activities, while blindly exploiting all the natural resources, are releasing huge amounts of gases into the atmosphere. 
As a result, the average temperature of the earth has increased by more than 1 degree Celsius since the Industrial Revolution. An IPCC 2014 report by the United Nation stated that the rapid rise in the average global temperature due to human activities is increasing the number and intensity of natural disasters. No country in the world will be able to escape the onslaught of these natural disasters in the near future unless greenhouse gas emissions are rapidly reduced. Fearing the report’s warning, countries around the world outlined their plans in the Paris Climate Agreement, 2015 to cut greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Even five years later, most countries in the world, especially those that emit the highest proportion of the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (the United States of America and China) did not pay any attention to it.
The theme of this year’s Earth Hour is ‘Climate Change to Save Earth’. Through this theme Earth Hour is delivering a message more pertinent and raising awareness about the crisis of nature loss, climate change and global warming. So far, human beings have brought negative changes in the climate in the name of economic growth, imbalancing various ecosystems. Rising global temperatures, increasing number of natural disasters, declining numbers of wildlife species are urging human beings to put a stop to their harmful activities and adopt pro-nature actions to reverse the changes in climate to save the planet. Otherwise nature has its own way to reverse the imbalance as has been highlighted from the existing COVID-19 pandemic.
The main purpose of celebrating Earth Hour seems to be a small effort to save the environment from the rising amount of greenhouse gases by turning off the non-essential lights for just one hour a year. But if we think deeply, stopping the use of non-essential lights is a great lesson in protecting human beings and other organisms from all kinds of harm. Using more light consumes many energy sources and increases Earth’s temperature by emitting greenhouse gases. More than 80 per cent of the world’s population, and 99 per cent of Americans and Europeans cannot see the natural scenery at night because of the light pollution. People living in cities with high levels of artificial light have a hard time seeing more than a handful of stars at night.
Light Pollution is proving to be harmful to all kinds of organisms, including humans. Many people suffer from severe headaches, insomnia, sleep deprivation, poor eyesight, and skin diseases due to excessive light at night. Millions of insects die everyday due to artificial night lights. According to a study by Berlin-based biologist Gerard Isenber, 150 billion insects die each year in Germany as a result of flashing buildings and streetlights. In large numbers, these insects are part of the animal food chain but their sudden death by light and heat disrupts the food chain depriving many birds and animals of food. Studies show that artificial night light is also impacting behaviour of animals and birds such as migration and sleep patterns and habitat formation. Many birds migrate from the north to the south during the winter. Migratory birds, during migration usually guided by moonlight, get confused and misled by artificial night lights, lose their way and often die. In North America, one billion birds die each year in collisions with buildings under the illusion of artificial night light.
The reproductive function of some animals is also negatively affected by artificial night lights. Marine animals being misled by the illusion of daylight have set up shelters near the beaches. All types of vegetation are affected by lights. The difference between day and night becomes negligible for the vegetation near these artificial night lights. They suffer from staying in the light all the time and also from high temperature which causes them to start flowering prematurely. The size of flowers and fruits remain small due to lack of a full time period required for a normal plant life cycle and adequate temperature to grow. Some plants wither prematurely being exposed to high temperatures and artificial illumination.
Guided by the Earth Hour campaign, some big cities have started turning off non-essential lights every day in main areas of the city. The city of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, USA is making every effort to turn off the lights every night from 9 to 11 pm. New Island, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, has become the world’s first ‘Dark Sky Place’, with no lights on at night. In doing so, the country has made a significant contribution to the Earth Hour’s campaign to tackle climate change while preserving the beauty of the night, protecting the flora and fauna from light pollution. Learning from the New Island, all the countries of the world should make their due contribution in this campaign to save the environment from Light pollution.
This year’s Earth Hour, where the United Kingdom and Italy plan to continue the Paris Climate Agreement in Glasgow in November, 2021, could be a beacon for other governments around the world. The decisions that will be taken at this conference will affect the future generations. In this conference, plans should be made to save fauna & flora and the natural environment so that we can protect ourselves as well as the earth from the scourge of climate change. Earth Hour, through a series of small steps, helps in protecting the planet from the increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and their deadly effects. It is in fact providing a great deal of education and guidance. In the long run, we will not only save the earth’s environment by turning off the unnecessary lights, but we will also be able to save the earth from all kinds of disturbances in the life of all living beings. If every country, state and city adopt these practices, we can improve the state of the existing environment and save the lives of billions of birds and insects.

*Prof Gurinder Kaur is the Professor, Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala and Visiting Professor at IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi

Comments

TRENDING

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy  Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor*  Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

PUCL files complaint with SC against Gujarat police, municipal authorities for 'unlawful' demolitions, custodial 'violence'

By A Representative   The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Justice of India, urging the Supreme Court to initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against the police and municipal authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The complaint alleges that these officials have engaged in unlawful demolitions and custodial violence, in direct violation of a Supreme Court order issued in November 2024.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative  The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.  The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents.   The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

CPM’s evaluation of BJP reflects its political character and its reluctance to take on battle against neo-fascism

By Harsh Thakor*  A controversial debate has emerged in the revolutionary camp regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s categorization of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Many Communists criticize the CPM’s reluctance to label the BJP as a fascist party and India as a fascist state. Various factors must be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment. Understanding the original meaning and historical development of fascism is essential, as well as analyzing how it manifests in the present global and national context.

How polarization between different ideological trends within the communist movement sharpened in India

By Harsh Thakor*  This article is a rejoinder to A Note on Slogans of “Left Unity,” “Unity of the Communist Revolutionaries” and “Mass Line” by Umair Ahmed, published on the Nazariya blog .

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा*  जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए। 

Implications of deaths of Maoist leaders G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya in Chhattisgarh

By Harsh Thakor*  In the wake of recent security operations in southern Chhattisgarh, two senior Maoist leaders, G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya, were killed. These operations, which took place amidst a historically significant Maoist presence, resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals on March 20th and 16 more three days prior.