A sense of excitement took over me two weeks ago, as I got ready to turn off power at our house last March 29, to my husband and son’s bewilderment. What do they know, right? They’re guys! But like a well- chanted mantra, I kept repeating “earth hour” as 8 p.m. drew to a close as I reminded them that in a few minutes, I would be turning off everything.

On hindsight, that felt like sticking my hand in the proverbial cookie jar but without the getting caught part.

My excitement stemmed from the fact that I was participating in something collective that will trigger a huge change. This was a new concept, a trailblazing undertaking on a global scale.

I peeked out of our window a few times in anticipation. I did notice our street was a lot darker than usual. Even our neighbors across the street did not have their outdoor lights on. I thought, wow, this is so cool; everyone got the message!

My son of course decided to have dinner just a few minutes before the designated time. I knew that he was not going to be able to chow down his food in 5 minutes. As I built up my chanting and started counting down, 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 –1, he quickly stood up and lit a candle. Well there, dinner by candlelight! What a concept.

I scampered to look out of the window again just to check. Indeed, our whole street was enveloped in a cloud of absolute blackness with the exception of a few lights flickering from the condo building in a distance.

This was indeed a novel concept and a great way to make a stand towards the right direction when it comes to taking care of Mother Earth. I was so proud to be able to participate especially when Chicago was chosen to be the flagship city for Earth Hour along with Atlanta, Phoenix and San Francisco and other cities here and all around the world.

Earth Hour Chicago is a partnership with World Wildlife Fund, the City of Chicago, ComEd (our electricity company) and Leo Burnett. Chicago’s participation is only one step in its ongoing commitment to be the greenest city in the nation.

Chicago has done a lot in the right direction. It’s dedicated to fighting climate change by conserving and protecting its natural resources, promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles with its residents, and incorporating healthy environmental practices in the government through promoting bike-friendly practices, building green roofs, conserving water, adding hybrid buses to the city’s fleet and mass transit system, planting trees and building “green” libraries, public schools and police stations.

Earth Hour Chicago was a great success. For an hour, Chicagoans took a stand against climate change. From the skyscrapers that make up the stunning and infamous Chicago skyline to the ritzy shops of the Magnificent Mile, from the different museums and ballparks to apartment buildings and homes in the city and all the suburbs, from Lakeshore Drive to the border towns of Illinois, Chicago flipped off the switch to make a difference.

To be without electricity for an hour is a big deal around here where blackouts (or brownouts) are rare occurrences. But on those occasions that they do happen, they’re usually weather related or caused by some freaky accident.

So imagine, if you will, an hour of no television, no computer, no music, no video games…in the minds of many, this was a big sacrifice; catastrophic even or worse, a death wish. But little by little, people are starting to be aware.

As I sat still in our living room for an hour, engulfed by nothing else but darkness and occasionally hearing what I perceived as a spooky sound coming from my fertile mind, I smiled as I watched my son eat his food in silence. I watched his shadowy figure against the candlelight and silently thank God for not having cooked some bony fish for dinner. Otherwise, it would have not been a pretty sight.

. I welcomed the darkness and the stillness of that hour. It allowed me to sit tight and focused on why I joined in. My mind traveled far and wide, thinking about the worse case scenario if we don’t do anything now. Turning off the lights might be a miniscule thing but it is a start, a good start

Raising awareness is a great first step and coaxing people to buy into the concept is a challenge that needs a concerted effort. We’ve laid down the groundwork and now it is really up to us to carry the torch and keep the light going (no pun intended). Our collective effort will ultimately yield positive results.

Well the hour passed and it felt like an eternity. I can get used to the darkness and even the stillness of the evening. As a matter of fact, it was a great respite. Just like anything else, there will be growing pains for sure but in the bigger scheme of things, it is worth every ounce of sacrifice now.

So mark your calendar, we’ll do it again next year. It’s March 28 this time. But between now and then, do all you can to help save our planet. It is so worth it.

back to top