Church enjoins youth: Mark Earth Hour
MANILA, Philippines—An office in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will replace all its old light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent lights in an effort to draw young Filipinos into joining and promoting Earth Hour 2012 next week.
Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY), on Monday said the CBCP-ECY was encouraging young people to do their part in caring for the planet by switching off “non-essential” lights for an hour on March 31.
“As in the past years, I enjoin everyone to join in the observance of Earth Hour [on] the last Saturday of this month, and to extend this invitation to everyone within our respective networks to take part,” Garganta said through CBCPNews, the official news service of the Church hierarchy.
Earth Hour is a global initiative where individuals, government offices and businesses are urged to turn off their lights for an hour to show support for the environment. This year’s campaign is called “I Will If You Will.”
Organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour was first staged in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, where the city was plunged into darkness for an hour as roughly two million people turned off their lights to mark the event.
Four years after, Earth Hour has been touted as the “world’s largest campaign for the planet,” with more than 135 countries, including the Philippines, taking part in the observation.
“Let us join millions in our country and around the world in switching off nonessential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., and using this time to engage in activities which promote care for our planet,” said Garganta.
He also encouraged young people to pledge to the event’s “I Will If You Will” campaign, wherein one makes a promise for the environment and at the same time challenges his or her peers and neighbors to do the same.
Pledges and promises could range from ditching energy-consuming light bulbs, recycling, avoiding the use of Styrofoam and plastic bags, going paperless or car-less even for a day.
“The ECY has started off with its statement… that the ECY will change its office light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights if you will switch off your lights on March 31,” said the priest. “Join the campaign and share this too with your community.”
“This campaign empowers people to share with the world their own personal contributions on how they can willingly save Mother Earth,” added Garganta.
