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At first glance, Earth Hour seems like yet another act to make people feel like they’re doing something when they’re not actually doing anything to protect the human niche in the environment (because let’s be real, that’s what moderate environmentalism has as its goal and, unless we actually manage to physically destroy it, Earth will go on no matter how altered). It seems like just another enviro-themed party. Statistics about energy saved cannot take into account energy used to power flashlights in the absence of overhead lights nor do they consider pollution from candles and other lighting sources. As for raising awareness, that hardly seems relevant at this point. If Live Earth and Al Gore’s slide-show presentation were so great, shouldn’t we all know about global warming already? (Didn’t everyone who actually cares know before that?) Moreover, a one-night event is not an effective way of changing long-term behaviors, though I would perhaps have been more impressed had organizers encouraged the use of Earth Hour to organize letter-writing (or direct action) campaigns against corporate polluters that make up a far greater part of the problem than personal energy use does.

But I digress. I realize I’m a little late for this. However, I do believe that there is a use for Earth Hour, and that is to draw attention to the specific problem of light pollution which is so harmful to migrating birds and other wildlife. People who have spent most of their lives in cities may not realize just how dramatic light pollution is; there is nothing like seeing a full sky of stars where previously there were none for increasing people’s understanding of this problem. Call me a romantic, but I believe that seeing a crack between the towers in which the sublime night sky is allowed to replace a contrastive blackness can create a desire to experience the phenomenon again, though that desire still has to be channeled into action to reduce light pollution instead of (or in addition to) efforts to travel to less populated places).

Of course, the best part about Earth Hour is that it isn’t sponsored by companies that sell bottled water or SUVs.

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