On the night of March 25, at 8:30 pm, lights will be turned off in different parts of the country, to draw society’s attention to the climate crisis. The blackout is part of Earth Hour, an event promoted annually by the non-governmental environmentalist organization WWF. The proposal is that individuals, groups and companies turn off the lights for 60 minutes, to think about how to take care of the planet. Cleaning the beach, planting a tree, engaging in community movements, or simply gathering with friends when power is off are all ways to join the movement. According to WWF, anyone, anywhere can participate in the mobilization. Supporters in more than 190 countries and territories participate in the event, which has been taking place in Brazil since 2009. According to Giselli Cavalcanti, WWF-Brazil engagement analyst, Earth Hour has more than 400 events scheduled across the country, both virtual and face-to-face . This year, WWF-Brasil offered a visibility map for these actions, which can be consulted on the institution’s website. “The goal is that, in a global effort, we manage to do our part, but also demand urgent measures from governments and leaders to stop the climate crisis and reverse the decline in biodiversity”, says Cavalcanti. A historic partnership Traditional partners of the WWF, the Scouts have several activities scheduled for Earth Hour, such as vigils, debates and stargazing. Bruno Souza, director of the José de Anchieta Scout Group (GEJA), in Brasília, explains that the scouts are already working on a set of actions associated with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations (UN) and that the activities scheduled for the day 25 are part of these actions. “GEJA participates in Earth Hour since it started in Brazil, so every year we carry out actions of this type and, mainly, guide our young people on the responsibility of each one in the matter of preserving the environment”, he says. For Giselli Cavalcanti, the participation of the Scouts in Earth Hour has a significant impact. “These children and young people are engaging with the environmental agenda, they are taking this discussion to other spaces as well, whether in schools, communities, families”, he explains. Cavalcanti also highlights the growing involvement of companies, which have participated in the mobilization with lectures, workshops and support for environmental care projects, in addition to reviewing their ways of acting. When the lights go out In Brazil, monuments and public buildings in several cities must turn off their lights at 8:30 pm this Saturday, as a way of joining the movement. Meanwhile, in Mongolia, a sustainable fashion show will take place with local designers, featuring recycled and redesigned clothing. WWF-Latvia will host its traditional Earth Hour concert for partners and supporters. These and other actions are part of the institution’s efforts “to end the decade with more nature and biodiversity than when it began”, in order to avoid irreversible damage to the planet. Biologist Nurit Bensusan, a specialist in biodiversity and a researcher at the Policy and Law Program at the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), questions the effectiveness of these actions. For her, Earth Hour would be more of an appeasement of conscience than a proposal for transformation. “Each person could do much more individually, taking a stand against an economy that dumps its socio-environmental impacts on other agents in society. Each of us could contribute to making this economy unacceptable, but we don’t do that, ”she points out. Bensusan cited the report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last Monday (20). The document warns that the world’s average temperature has risen 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – a direct consequence of more than a century of burning fossil fuels, as well as disorderly and unsustainable use of energy and soil. The report also points out that climate-related natural disasters hit the most economically and socially vulnerable people the most. “It is very difficult for us to analyze the climate crisis separately from colonialism, racism, discrimination, prejudice and inequalities”, she adds. According to the biologist, to transform the current scenario, just changes in routine are not enough. For her, a kind of “faith” in technology makes us believe that the socio-environmental damage caused by the climate is manageable, which would lead to a postponement of effective solutions. “What would work would be a radical awareness of people”, she argues. For Giselli Cavalcanti, Earth Hour increases the awareness and mobilization of different sectors of society in the environmental cause, which can be considered one of the positive effects of the campaign.
Agência Brasil
Folha Nobre - Desde 2013 - ©