Earth Hour - A Point of View

Over the weekend people around the world celebrated Earth Hour, an annual celebration since 2007 where everyone turns off their lights and electrical appliances for an hour in an effort to raise awareness on climate change. On first sight, the idea certainly seems to be a noble one, perhaps even brilliant. In fact, it truly appeals to the masses of simpletons who are tired of hearing about the imminent advent of climate change and see an opportunity to play their little parts in saving the world for the future generations.

So.. an hour without light or any form of electricity. Certainly the light from the moon and the stars wouldn't suffice for today's city-dwellers. For those who decide to just stay indoors - out come the candles. There! There lies one of the major flaws I see in our celebration of Earth Hour. Do we actually think about what we are emitting to the environment by lighting up those candles? Carbon dioxide apart, the low temperature burning of the candle produces a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).. after all, most candles are a product of paraffin wax which in turn is a product of crude oil.

Then there are some who just can't stay indoors in the dark and decide to go out for a drive under the moonlit skies. Unless they're driving some high-end electric car (which come to think of it would defeat the initial purpose of turning off the lights in the first place), that quite easily translates to even more emissions of carbon dioxide to the environment and they'd have played their little parts in welcoming Mr. Climate Change.

Some cities around the world (my home city Kuala Lumpur being one of them) tend to organize mass gatherings during Earth Hour at a public location. On the bright side, they certainly make a stronger statement to the rest of the world in raising awareness.. and perhaps the masses that join can worry a little less on the advent of crime during the hour of darkness. Again candles are lit in the hordes, and there are probably even a few fiery performances (literally, with the fire dancers and fire blowers) just to entertain the crowd. The funny part about all this, is that barring the usage of electricity - we've done almost everything else we can during that one hour to hasten the process of climate change.

Now I'm not going to crunch numbers with some arbitrary assumptions to prove my point. Of course being an engineer I couldn't be satisfied without preliminary calculations, but that I had already done while sitting through one of my environmental lectures back in Chicago. The point I want to make though, is for everyone to simply think for themselves and perhaps even do a little bit of research on the facts rather than just following the hordes..

If you really think about it properly, perhaps you'll see a whole host of alternative ways we can make a difference in mitigating climate change. For example, why can't we celebrate Earth Hour during the day instead? Or better still, make it HOURS. There wouldn't be much of a need for candles, plus we could be cutting down on the actual power guzzlers such as air-conditioning systems. Or how about switching for some time to basic renewable energy sources like running appliances on solar power (and not complain about their intermittency) or travelling on bicycles for a week?

The real point though (at least in my opinion), is that our current over-indulgent lifestyle is taking its toll on the Earth, and the sustainability of our modern-day advancements for the future. It is simply time for all of us (or at the very least, those of us privileged with an education) to think of the future generations, and do what is best over the long run - because short-term (and short-of-thought, if I may add) ideas such as Earth Hour just aren't going to cut it.

A Much Needed Break.. Which Isn't Much..

Hi again,

Fall break's finally here, though it makes very little difference to me since I only get to skip a single class.. Sigh.. Classes have been going good. I am beginning to ferverously follow developments in the renewable energy field. Ah yes.. renewable energy. I've learnt so much about it within the past couple of months, and a lot of my pre-conceptual skepticism on it is being rapidly wiped away by the minute.

From solar photovoltaics, to wind turbines, to fuel cells, to corn-ethanol fuel - I've had somewhat of a crash course on the fundamentals of each and every one of these renewable energy technologies. Extensive studies have been performed all over the world, trying to find that one technology that would 'save the world' from the clutches of global warming and resource depletion. The more I learn though the clearer it becomes to me that there is no ONE solution. Renewable energies have their natural limiations, the extent of which are region specific. Fr example, Canada and the northern US gets a lot of winds annually, and this natural potential makes wind turbine construction feasible in these regions. Countries around the equator (such as Malaysia) on the other hand are exposed to high amounts of sunshine all year-round, but do not necessarily get much wind. Hence, these regions are more suitable for solar photovoltaic systems. With regards to Malaysia, there is also a lot of potential in biofuels.

There is quite a hype for renewable energy in today's world. However, it is essential for us to determine the feasbility of implementing a certain technology before ultimately doing so. One needs to consider not only the economics of the project, but also an emission analysis accounting for every input, process and output.

On a more abstract note, I have to state that I do not believe that human beings are saving the planet (so to speak). I believe the planet Earth is a closed system, and all 'natural phenomenons' including global warming are basically mechanisms to mitigate changes in the 'system.' Thus, I think what we are essentially trying to do is save mankind's existence on the face of the Earth. Now some may argue that they are protecting the other forms of life as well, but I don't buy that either, for I think in essence, it is the undeniable interdependence of all living beings on Earth that drives us to protect them. Well, that just my 2 cents worth.

Alrighty, now that I'm done rambling, here's some news for those who have been craving for something more pleasing to the eyes than words. Haha. Since it's fall break, I'll be spending some time taking photos around campus (it is quite beautiful, but I personally appreciate spring's beauty more). They should be up this weekend, so watch out for those. Till then, cheers!