Shut down for an hour

For the second year in a row, my wife and I participated in Earth Hour. At 8:30 I hit the main breaker in our apartment shutting everything down for an hour. During that time we read together by candlelight and reflected on just how much energy we use on a day-to-day basis. It was amazing to us how quiet it was without the ambient hum of electronics running, serving our whims, and it was humbling to think how hard it seemed to read by candlelight and how much we rely on technology for every aspect of our lives.

If you didn’t participate in Earth Hour this year I urge you to do so next year. It’s a simple and symbolic way to focus on saving energy and the mounting energy crisis.