Silence to the World
The month of March usually coincides with the turn of the çaka New Year, a New Year celebration that the Balinese do not celebrate by partying and using up energy resources, on the contrary they restrain from using energy for a considerable 24 hours – island-wide.
This total pause in human activity has the world inspired, which continues to roll on in 'fighting global warming' and so forth. Local wisdom is put into account in facing climate change.
In the first half of December last year, the world's attention was focused on this small island as discussions were carried out by international leaders and experts on global warming at a global conference. The Balinese, through their age-old traditions, have uniquely lived their way of life in preserving their environment centuries before the terms 'greenhouse effect' and 'global warming' were coined.
This once in a year observance sees no fire, electrical appliance or combustion engine in use. The international airport – airplanes being one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions (even John Travolta admits it) – is the only airport in the world to cease operations for a full 24 hours, through their NOTAM or 'Note to Airmen'.
And recently a unique movement from Sydney, its Earth Hour in 2007, came to our attention. This year, it has pushed Earth Hour 2008 as a global movement, created to take a stand against global warming by the simple action of turning off the lights for an hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action.
68,506 individuals and 2,270 businesses registered their participation on the Earth Hour website. Although the event in 2007 was focused on Sydney, other people in Australia and internationally participated. According to statistics provided by Energy Australia, the event reduced electricity consumption during that hour by 10.2%, and a poll conducted by AMR Interactive estimates that 57% of Sydney's population participated. This research is commonly relied upon to claim that 2 million people took part in Earth Hour.
This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm on March 29, millions of people in some of the world's major capital cities including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane, Tel Aviv and Manila will unite to switch off for this Earth Hour.
But all this, why only recently? And the whole Balinese community asks to the rest of the world out there, “Just where on Earth have you been? Done that! We do that, by heart 'n understanding and with no campaign whatsoever. Turn off not only light bulbs – but a whole island.” Perhaps it's just a form of Bali's characteristic taciturn – silent by nature – habitually uncommunicative or reserved in speech and manner behavior.
Meanwhile, also during the December global warming discussions, members of the community from various sectors who support sustainable development and the philosophy of harmony with nature informed the world on behalf of the Indonesian Archipelago that during the silent day, carbon emissions in Bali were reduced to an estimate 20 thousand tons because motorcycles, cars and airplanes cease to operate.
They proposed the idea of creating a Silent Day for Earth on March 21 (equivalent of the vernal equinox) as World Silent Day, in which everyone could contribute to greenhouse gas emission reduction by stopping all activity and energy consumption for a day. March 21 also happens to be World Water Day. They proposed that the UN establish the 'World Silent Day' gradually begin this month and implementations by March 2010. “Bali can do it, why can't the world?” they asked. Well, at least the world can learn something from Bali, and have no doubt about what this humble island of over three and a half million people is able to do and has been doing for centuries in helping to sustain a better world.
Check out: www.worldsilentday.org; www.earthhour.org.
Pondering Point is a page dedicated for you to share experiences, critical ideas, opinions, or — better yet — a solution to make our beloved Bali
a better island. Email us at: editor@baliandbeyond.co.id |
