Fellow Earthlings, how did your Earth Hour go? The event, especially the thought that all of us in this planet can act together for a common good, really injected some kind of hyperexcitement into me. I am ever so grateful that all my family are also very supportive of the event, and my mom even used her facebook (yes people, she has a facebook account) to invite her friends to the so-called first ever global election between dearest Mother Earth and the sinister Global Warming.
On the hours leading up to the actual switch-off, I kept checking all the websites about Earth Hour to see how the event progressed in other parts of the world. The Earth Hour ‘09 picture gallery at flickr was a very smart way to build the excitement as the event went from one time zone to another. Of course, because Jakarta is on GMT+7, the report wasn’t that extensive yet, only from places located beyond GMT+7. Nevertheless, I could see the “dark” pictures from Fiji, Sydney, Melbourne, KL, S’pore, and several other cities.
Then, it turned out that my family had something to attend to and had to go out. However,it didn’t turn off our spirits (no pun intended) and we decided to just switch off the lights earlier than scheduled. Yay! Apparently, my house in the dark isn’t as creepy as I thought it would be.
So, we took care of business. Let’s jump to the part where my family discovered that it’s not Earth Hour yet. That’s when my mom, in a surprising spontaneity, suggested that we cruise to Bunderan HI and the area around the National Monument. They are two of the many sites that will participate in Earth Hour as pledged by the Governor and city council. The plan seemed stupid at the moment: turning off the lights to save energy while driving an less-than-essential trip. Yet, we considered the fact that we’re already out there in our car and the drive wouldn’t take so long since it’s near. Therefore, we gave the plan the go ahead.
“Controversies” aside, I was extremely fortunate to witness the switch-off, and also the switch-back-on an hour later. Earth Hour in Jakarta started when I was at the bridge before Bunderan HI. It was 8.30 and my mom half-sarcastically-in-a-nice-way asked why the whole city hasn’t turned off its light yet. I asked her to be a little more patient…and right after I said it, the median street lights were out. Blip. (OK, I don’t know how darkness sounds). Bunderan HI ahead had also lost its fountain and blazing light. Businesses in the area -which includes Grand Hyatt, the posh Grand Indonesia mall/Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, and Nikko Hotel- took part by reducing their lights. Obviously we can’t let shoppers wander around or hotel guests bathe in complete darkness.
The stretch between Bunderan HI and National Monument jumped on the dark wagon too, throwing the usually-congested street into some kind of serene urban scene. TransJakarta shelters along the way were plunged into darkness too. Secretly I hoped everyone and his/her belongings will be safe. The National Monument and the area around it (along all Medan Medeka’s) were in almost-complete darkness. Buildings that participated include the State Palace, the Governor’s Office, DPRD building, National Library, US Embassy, Bank Indonesia, various ministries, and the National Museum a.k.a. the Elephant Museum. The attention center is, of course, the National Monument, which only kept its golden eternal fire aflame at its top. The darkness around it offered a perfect glow for the flame, proven by the number of “likes” in my facebook photo.
Talking about the switch-off, one thing seems wrong, yet feels good, in an urban manner is that the darkness seemed so natural. Honestly, my mind kept erroneously thinking that this is how things usually go around there everyday. The National Monument looked as proud as ever, the center of the city peaceful, and its citizens caring for the world. It never occured to me that I want the lights to be turned on any time soon.
Now, I want to talk about how Earth Hour can bring an enduring benefit for us and for Earth. I, with millions of participants around the world, discovered new ways to reduce energy consumption in the coming days till forever. We found lamps the light of which we took for granted, and decided that they don’t have to be turned on everyday. We realized that some stuffs can be done in minimal light like meditating, doing yoga, praying, enjoying family time, producing pictures to put on facebook, and anything else people might think of. Yes, WWF intended Earth Hour as a mostly-symbolic event; however, we can take and extend the goodwill to every day of the year.
Last and so not least, expect pictures coming up soon!
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