Earth Hour should be observed voluntarily not under duress

Every year Earth Hour is celebrated on last Saturday of March all around the world voluntarily by switching off all the unnecessary lights to show the care for the planet Earth. It was first started in 2007 in Australian city of Sydney by World Wide Fund for Nature. Its main objective is to conserve energy and to contribute less in global warming - that is the main cause of the climate change. This is an issue that entirely changed the eco balance of the planet and put its survival in peril.

This year one week earlier

This year Earth Hour will be observed from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm (local time) on 23^rd March to avoid conflict with Western Christianity Holy Saturday that falls on 30^th March, 2013.   This event is celebrated all over the world by all the concerned forums and communities. All the nature loving people voluntarily switch off the lights and other electric appliances of their homes, offices, shops and other places for one hour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm according to their local time. This event purely bases on voluntarism which means no one can force someone to switch off lights but each one has to do by oneself to show one’s love and care for the planet Earth.

Earth Hour in developed world

This is the brighter side of this event that we can see in the developed world where every aware person pays due regards to the spirit of this event. If a person doesn’t celebrate this event he/she at least admits its significance and don’t talk against it. That is why most of the memorable events on this occasion are organized in the developed world. Concerned citizens and forums not only switch off the unnecessary lights and electric appliances under their use but also gather in groups to show their collective will for the conservation of planet Earth. Media cover such events at a massive level and their coverage makes an overall tempo all around the world which shows that world is celebrating this event at different levels.

Earth Hour by force in poor countries

On the flip side this event is observed in backward countries in a strange way. Instead of leaving it up to the consent of the people to celebrate this event by providing initial awareness about it some elements try to force the communities to observe it whether they want to do or not. The local chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature first makes collaboration with the government and electric supply companies in poor countries and then ask government employees to switch off their lights for one hour. Secondly electric supply companies are also asked to cut the power supply to cities and towns for one hour.

Poor countries’ people daily observe Earth Hour

One may asked if government on the request of the local chapter of WWF is doing something positive for the conservation of energy and protection of planet Earth then it must be taken positively. No it is the funniest act by them. Why? It is because in most of such countries there is frequent load shedding on daily basis. In a country like Pakistan the most of its cities have to face load shedding of more than six hours daily. So power supply companies in such countries have great excuse to cut power supply for another one hour on the name of Earth Hour.

WWF should take up this issue

The local chapter of WWF in such countries in frenzy for showing performance to its headquarters doesn’t consider the basic spirit of this event while observing it. Obviously voluntarism beautify the celebration of this event. But WWF putting aside this aspect just collaborate with the government and energy organizations of such countries and bind the people to observe it willingly or unwillingly. For this purpose higher authorities of WWF should take up this issue and bind their local chapters in poor countries not to collude with the governments of such countries to forcible make people observe this event.