What is Earth Hour?
• Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to switch off their lights for one hour on Saturday, 27th March 2010 at 8:30pm to show their support for action on climate change.
• Earth Hour is a symbolic event designed to engage people from all walks of life in the climate change discussion to send a strong message to our political leaders that we want them to take meaningful action on climate change.
• It is the largest climate event in history where millions of people around the world will unite by turning off their lights for one hour, Earth Hour, to demand action on the climate crisis.
How does climate change affect Malaysia?
Climate change is considered to be one of the biggest threats facing nature and humanity today. It is an undeniable, pervasive, and insidious planetary crisis that affects food and water security, biodiversity, public health and our overall socio-economic well being. In order to avoid the devastating effects of climate change, global warming should stay well below a 2° Celsius increase compared to pre-industrial temperatures.
To attain this objective, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions need to be cut by at least 50 per cent in the coming decades.
Rising CO2 levels and climatic changes greatly impact the marine ecosystem by increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, raising sea-levels and causing coral bleaching and ocean acidification. These changes will have disastrous consequences on the people, livelihoods and species that depend on a healthy and thriving marine environment. Even turtles, one of Malaysia’s most endangered species, will be badly affected by climate change. Turtles have been around for millions of years, but they are facing more and more threats from humans. Can we let climate change be the threat that pushes them over the edge of extinction?
Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and strength of storms, which will erode beaches and reduce nesting habitat. For example, The Turtle Islands Park in Sabah, an important nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles, is facing serious erosion problems. We can help turtles to adapt to this by protecting as many nesting habitats as possible now.
When turtles lay their eggs, the temperature of the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings. Warmer nests produce mostly female hatchlings. As the climate warms, it is predicted that turtle nests too will be warmer resulting in fewer male hatchlings. This imbalance in the sex ratio will have an adverse impact on the future turtle population where there will be fewer male turtles to fertilize the eggs. Slowing climate change now will help to reduce this threat.
Turtles also require healthy marine habitats, such as seagrass beds and coral reefs, for food and shelter. Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and coral bleaching brought on by climate change will affect seagrass distribution and productivity. As the turtles habitats degrade and disappear, they may go too. We can help them adapt by reducing as many threats now, so that their natural resiliency can take over. Along with saving the turtles by mitigating and adapting to the catastrophic effects of climate change, we also save the ecosystems they need, shared not only by myriad and unique marine organisms but for millions of human beings dependent on coastal and marine resources for their livelihood.
What can you do?
Participate in Earth Hour. Join the millions of people around the world who are switching off their lights for just one hour to demonstrate their understanding, and commitment to help stop climate change.
So just, turn out your light, show support.
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