Daily Times

Significant landmarks vanished from the skylines across Pakistan between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on March 19, 2016, as their lights were switched off to observe Earth Hour. Every year, the environmental protection agency, World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature, calls out to people all across the world to participate in the grassroots Earth Hour campaign in order to raise awareness about the ecological hazards plaguing Earth. According to Hammad Naqi Khan, WWF-Pakistan Director, Pakistan is one of the ten countries most affected by the current climate change. Three Pakistani cities — Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi — were slated in the list of world’s most polluted cities last year, according to the statistics published by World Health Organization. In times like these, initiatives like Earth Hour should be celebrated momentously. Every small step contributes in walking the mile towards environmental preservation. However this hour-long commitment can only be useful if the issue of environmental protection is treated with the same vigour all year long. Earth Hour should be treated as a rallying call for activist all across the country to help reduce, if not eliminate, greenhouse gas emissions that drastically impact our environment.

However, many Pakistanis view the execution of such projects with a lot of cynicism. Given the lack of adequate power generation, with frequent load shedding in blocks of one hour or more, many are bemused by the concept of Earth Hour. Sarcastic comments are made regarding the futility of this endeavour in Pakistan. It is important therefore to separate the content of Earth Hour, a mere symbol adapted globally, from its message, which is critically important. Such green initiatives are badly needed by our power-starved economy, which greatly relies on non-renewable resources such as coal to generate electricity. Even our renewable hydel power suffers significantly from environmental degradation and adverse climate changes brought about by global warming. However, the present government cannot be blamed for indolence policy-making, especially with regard to power conservation. Last year, a plan was introduced to preserve electricity by closing down shops, marriage halls and restaurants at 8 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. respectively, both in Islamabad and across Punjab. Nevertheless, this government strategy was rejected by not only opposition but also the business community in the country. If the political parties in the country join hands in creating policy initiatives that promote power preservation, the public can greatly benefit from a reduction in power losses as well as from a greener environment.

Earth Hour is a constant reminder to people worldwide to attempt to make a difference towards our finances as well as our planet. If the people in power unite with the global civil society in their fight against the carbon footprint of our generation, a sustainable environment can be created for, not just ourselves but also, for the generations to come. *