This weekend is the National Cherry
Blossom Festival in Washington,
DC. The famous trees, found
mainly on the National Mall, were a gift from Japan in 1912 and when bloomed, make a beautiful display
of white and pink. The festival is one of DC’s most notable events, lasting
from March 29 to April 13, with plenty of activities like a Kite Festival, a
Fireworks Show and a Japanese Street Festival. If you're in the area, you should come and see it.
While looking for information on the Cherry Blossom
Festival, I came across an article discussing an alarming trend: many plants (including
cherry blossoms) are blooming earlier the past few decades. For example, the
cherry blossoms used to bloom during the Festival while today the cherry
blossoms bloom before the Festival. Researchers point to global warming as the
cause. Sadly, the warmer temperatures are greatly influencing the life cycles
of many plants and animals affecting their survival.
So this weekend, I’ve decided to take some action. I’m going
to participate in Earth Hour 2008. For
those who are not familiar, this Saturday at 8 pm, 24 global cities will turn
off their lights for one hour to take a stand against global warming. As the
Earth Hour website says, “Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the
lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on
global warming”. In case you’re wondering what impact can an hour of darkness make,
last year Sydney reduced
their energy consumption by 10.2% because 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses
turned off their lights. These results are a reminder when we unite as a country or world, we can
make a difference.
I’ve also made a few other changes to be more environmentally
friendly. First, I’ve switched to energy-saving light bulbs in my apartment and I'm strict about
keeping the lights off when I leave the house. Also, I’ve purchased a new shower
head that conserves water and have begun using a reusable grocery bag instead
paper or plastic bags. And most importantly, I do a lot more walking and biking than I used to to reduce the amount of driving.
So this weekend, be a part of the action. Enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival if you're in DC this weekend. And if not,
remember to turn off the lights to fight global warming on Saturday night in Earth Hour
2008.
Justin – A Lumen
