Earth Hour : Just One Hour to Save the Earth!

This week’s blog has been inspired by Earth Hour, which takes place tonight at 8:30pm (wherever you are!)

What Is it?

Earth Hour is a global event where millions switch their lights off and use no electricity as a sign of solidarity for our planet. It’s a great opportunity to take part in something creative without electricity, like swapping stories in the dark, or doing a bit of stargazing! HOOP volunteers will be using the time to get together and play games by candlelight.

Climate change isn’t just an issue for the future, it is affecting us now. Here in Peru, plants, people and animals will be heavily affected, with dry season average temperatures expected to increase in between 0.7°C and 1.8°C by 2020 according to the Peru Support Group, 2014. 

Although Peru is just responsible for 0.1% of global CO2 emissions, it is not going to get an easy ride when it comes to climate change. According to TreeHugger.com, it was the only country achieving the ‘sustainability sweet spot’ in 2007, where it managed to balance high development without heavily consuming resources.

A few months back, Lima hosted the Conference of Parties (COP20), a global climate summit of leaders from all over the world. The outcomes of conferences like this, where climate science meets politics, are going to have a big impact on all our lives, and the future of the planet.

Thinking sustainably

Since Arequipa is bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, it is a big opportunity for generating solar energy. Companies like Caja Arequipa are giving ‘green’ loans to small companies who want to be using cleaner and efficient energy.

A solar water heater on the Home Sweet Home Hostel

Not long ago, there was mention of Arequipa being considered as a possible destination for a wind farm project. From living in Arequipa, I see solar panels and solar water heaters every now and again, often on hotels and hostel buildings. So it’s good to see alternative energy sources becoming more of a ‘thing’.

Earth Hour gives us the chance to think about how we can best protect our planet. These days, pretty much everything we do relies on electricity in some way, so going without it, even for just an hour, is a great way to make us think of ways we can be more sustainable in our day-to-day lives.

Get involved in Earth Hour tonight, and think about how you can live more sustainably every day - and don’t forget to share what you get up to!

By Oliver Adams