Simple Steps for Saturday

Remember, it all starts at home. The power of one can be incredibly surprising, so take these simple steps and join the worldwide effort to conserve energy and raise awareness:

• Turn off all your lights, TVs and stereos
• Unplug electronics, such as computers, TVs and microwaves. Even when not in use, these items still draw energy and contribute to the release of greenhouse gases
• If going out, walk, take public transportation or carpool with friends, when possible
• Allow your dishes to manually dry, instead of using the heat function on your dishwasher
• Use less hot water. Shorter showers help, as does washing laundry in cold water more often.

Stay Entertained During the Darkness

So, what can you do to stay entertained while you power off? We live in an age where obsessions with e-mail, news tickers and media engorgement run rampant.

Consider this the perfect time to get back to basics. Stay at home, catch up with family, take a relaxing bath, or enjoy a bottle of wine by candle light. You could also step outside and revel in a downtown core that will be (unusually) softly glowing. Who knows – you might even be able to do a little stargazing.

If you'd rather be social on the Saturday, why not have a party loosely based around Earth Day? Invite friends over for a candlelit soiree and craft up some eco-friendly cocktails. After all, who doesn't love a theme party?

More than just an hour

The hopes of Earth Hour are to create a ripple effect and engrain environmentally-friendly habits into our everyday routines. Try to incorporate these habits into your life for longer than just Earth Hour itself. Simple things, like switching to compact fluorescent bulbs and spending even a minute less in the shower can make a huge difference. So far, the planet has been good to us. Now let’s stop the pillaging and be good to it. Quid pro quo, my friends.