Durban - Having been through bouts of load shedding, South Africans are not going to be asked to switch off for Earth Hour this year but to rather sign up to a global movement calling for environmental action.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said this week that for the annual Earth Hour tonight, the goal was to focus towards limiting climate change by opting for renewables over fossil fuels, which would lead to a better energy future.
WWF stated that Earth Hour remained the largest citizen participatory event aimed at social consciousness in support of the environment.
WWF South Africa CEO Dr Morné du Plessis said: “The uncomfortable space we find ourselves in right now is no accident. Our energy crisis is connected to our climate crisis and the way in which we treat nature. Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations about this planetary crisis and what we can do to change our trajectory for a better future for people and nature.”
Describing South Africa as in “the depths of an energy crisis”, WWF said: “We do not wish to miss this moment. We have no time to waste. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change in our warming world. Lives and livelihoods are being affected as the result of more frequent extreme weather events, from heatwaves to floods and wildfires.
“We need to realise that what we do to our planet, we do to ourselves. We are shaping our future with every action we take, and our current experience is just a foretaste of what is to come if we do not act now. Without more ambition and faster implementation of national and international policy aimed at curbing climate change, we will miss this last chance to limit warming to 1.5ºC.
“This means that the most important action we can take right now is to work together to raise public awareness, and to hold the private and public sector accountable for fulfilling their climate commitments.”
For more information to join the global movement for change, go to wwf.org.za.
The Independent on Saturday