Earth Hour 2010: 60 Minutes of Darkness for Mother Earth

I have just switched back the light which meant that Earth Hour 2010 has just concluded.  I was supposed to spend the past 60 minutes at the SM City Baliwag upon their invitation but earlier commitments prevented me from going there.

In fact, I got home five minutes after the start of Earth Hour and the lights inside the house were already out.  Even the dogs seemed to be observing Earth Hour because they were silent outside the house.  I turned on my laptop using battery power and monitored what was happening at the earthhour.org website.

I walked outside to check how my neighbors observed Earth Hour 2010.  The moon which was still waxing floated in the starless sky and illuminated the mango tree in the garden.  Sadly, just like last year it appeared that we're the only one in the neighborhood that participated in the event.  Our neighbors did not bother to turn off their lights.  There was even a karaoke singing party down the street.

Sixty minutes passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time to switch on the lights. On the television, the lights at SM Mall of Asia were back and the giant globe in front of the mall showed a message thanking everyone for participating in Earth Hour 2010.  Meanwhile,  I promised myself that I will do this again next year.

UPDATE: News reports indicate that the Philippines has once again topped the participation in this global event.  Some 1,076 cities and municipalities around the country switched off their lights for 60 minutes for Mother Earth. Mabuhay!