Hong Kong city skyline before and during Earth Hour
Photo Credit: Ringo Ma on Earth Hour News Website
The World has already started to turn off its lights at 8:30pm in cities around the world with citizens demanding effective actions on climate change. Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia and in its 4th edition has over 5 million people pledging their support. According to the WWF, we have only 5 more years to reverse the impact of the industrial damage before climate change becomes inevitable. Helping our planet is easy and simple! You can initiate your own revolution in 5 simple steps:
1 – Don’t drive, take the bus!
I don’t drive. In theory, I know how to drive, but I have never had to. Living in Rio de Janeiro and Vancouver, driving sounds like an indulgence since you can go anywhere using the public system. I do understand that everybody likes the comfort of their cars and that driving is required in some cases. If that’s your situation, join a car pool, make new friends, and ride or share a car with someone else.
2 – Recycle
I love the cities that I’ve lived in because they’ve been making it easy for their residents to recycle their garbage and help the planet. Here in Vancouver, recycling starts inside your house and is supported by local waste management companies. In Rio de Janeiro, there is a wide network of aluminum can collectors and several social projects transforming garbage into art and new products. Brazil is also the pioneer in Tetra Pak recycling, which makes me really proud of our Brazilian engineers.
Contact your city’s website to learn more about the your local recycling guidelines. If your city doesn’t have a recycling program in place, contact your representative and demand one!
3 – Buy in bulk and opt for products with less packaging
It sounds really simple, but it will make a real difference in your pocket and in the future of our planet. Buying things in bulk and with less packaging will reduce your trips to the garbage and increase your savings. If the products that you buy are individually packaged, the cost of the packaging is reflected in the price. Also, try to buy products that have been packaged in recycled materials and show other companies that you’re ready for a change.
4 -Change your light bulbs
I know that you know that your electricity bill will get cheaper. If the investment seems too high at first, consider that you will only have to change your light bulbs again in 1.5 to 2 years from now and you will see how much money you can save.
5 – Get out there!
Watch less TV and go for more walks. Rollerblade, skateboard, go out and take pictures of your beautiful planet! See the change that you are bringing to the world and have fun!
