CCC: Fighting climate change requires more than an hour

MANILA, Philippines - Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) stressed that the message of the Earth Hour event is really a long-term call against global warming.

Sering said, “Global warming is causing climate to change. The Earth Hour should be treated as a wake-up call that Mother Earth needs more attention.”

The Philippines is now experiencing the brunt of climate change as the impact of increasing disasters linked to floods, droughts, and other climate-influenced events has been significant, inflicting devastation due to environmental degradation, reductions in water and food availability, and unimaginable loss of fortune and lives in the country.

Sering said the National Climate Change Action Plan, currently being drafted by the commission, provides key strategic actions that build on mitigation measures such as increased energy efficiency, conservation, increased use of renewable energy, and preservation of natural resources as part of adaptation to offer opportunities for enhancing development and boosting the adaptive capacity of communities.

The CCC secretariat is supportive of the Earth Hour, which empowers citizens to participate in taking action on climate change.

However, Sering warned that if this initiative is merely treated as just a once-a-year event, then the people are missing the point of the message.

“When we turn off our lights on March 26, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., let us use it is as an opportunity to reflect about what we can do to contribute in fighting climate change. We can say we got the message of Earth Hour if we are willing to do our part through committing to changes in our lifestyle, such as shifting to energy-efficient practices. We may not be able to solve climate change overnight, but each step we do makes a difference,” Sering said.

The Earth Hour, organized by World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was initiated in Australia in 2007 and embraced by the Philippines in 2008.

This event was created to empower people to address climate change via a 60-minute switch-off.

Earth Hour 2011 differs from all previous observances by focusing on what citizens can do beyond the switch-off.