Emily Chapman Laing
Earth Hour is returning for its 16th consecutive year.
The world will “switch off” and take #TimeOutForNature on Saturday 25 March.
Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens director and chief executive Tim Entwisle believes we can inspire change by committing one hour of our time to nature.
“Earth hour is great way of reminding us that every minute of the day we are using energy and we’re having an impact on the environment,” he said.
“So I think for one hour, to just stop and think about that impact is perfect.
“Little things add up and I think if each of us make small gestures, not only do we actually save energy and perhaps reduce the loss of trees, but we also send an important message to our children and the rest of the community that we want change.”
Earth Hour is the world’s biggest movement to protect our planet.
This year it will be taking place on Saturday 25 March from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
“For 60 minutes people in more than 7000 cities in over 190 countries switch off their lights as a symbolic gesture of solidarity to show they care about our planet and its future,” the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) organisation wrote.
“Earth Hour isn’t just about switching off your lights.
“Our aim is to spark global conversations on the impacts of climate change and inspire positive action to protect our natural world.
“By working together, we can help shape a bright future for us all.”
The environment continues to degrade at an alarming pace and deforestation is becoming an increasingly alarming issue.
Eastern Australia is among the 24 global deforestation fronts and Australia is the only developed nation on this list.
“Nearly 50 per cent of Australia’s forest cover has been cleared in the last two centuries, making it one of the worst developed countries for deforestation,” wrote The Wilderness Society (TWS).
An estimated 200,000 trees are bulldozed in Australia every day.
That’s 8000 trees every hour.
The Wilderness Society noted that the land equivalent of the MCG is destroyed every 86 seconds in Australia.
“Australia has lost 27 per cent of its rainforest, 19 per cent of open forest, 11 per cent of woodland forest, and 28 per cent of mallee forest since 1750,” TWS wrote.
Even more alarmingly, Australia holds the record for the highest number of mammal extinctions on the planet.
“To date, 55 wildlife species and 37 plant species have gone extinct in Australia.”
Trees are the lungs of our planet and we need them to help reverse the impacts of climate change.
“Even if we’re not living near a forest or you don’t feel that we’re the people destroying or removing forests, we still have the ability to plant trees,” Mr Entwisle said.
“We still have the ability to encourage our local council and government to plant more trees.
“In the Botanic Gardens, we’re really keen that every visitor who comes into the gardens goes away wanting not only to look after the plants they have in their garden, but also to think about planting more.
“Every tree makes the air better, every tree helps to soak up carbon from the atmosphere.
“Every small thing you do helps.”
Founded in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment.
It is known for inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 190 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade.
Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently Earth Hour is striving to bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore.
The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature.
The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change.
According to the Pachamama Alliance (PA), “the loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding [and] increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere”.
Deforestation occurs for a number of reasons.
“The most common reason is agriculture, with 80 per cent of deforestation resulting from extensive cattle ranching, and logging for materials and development,” PA wrote.
A 2019 analysis by TWS found that 73 per cent of deforestation and land clearing in Queensland is linked to beef production.
The effects of deforestation can be devastating.
“One of the most dangerous and unsettling effects of deforestation is the loss of animal and plant species due to their loss of habitat,” PA wrote.
“Seventy per cent of land animals and plant species live in forests.
“Not only does deforestation threaten species known to us, but also those unknown.”
In Queensland and New South Wales, koalas in particular are facing the threat of habitat loss through deforestation for agriculture.
“Over 92,718 hectares of koala habitat were cleared in Queensland in just one year (2018-2019), with 80 per cent of that area destroyed for beef production,” TWS wrote.
Trees also help to absorb carbon dioxide we exhale from the atmosphere, acting as “valuable carbon sinks”.
Deforestation cripples this process and results in huge amounts of greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases are emitted largely by human activities.
As gases are released into the atmosphere, they trap heat and cause climate change.
Disease may also become an issue as trees continue to be logged for human short-term benefit.
According to Christina Nunez of National Geograhic, there is “imminent danger of disease caused by deforestation”.
“An estimated 60 per cent of emerging infectious diseases come from animals, and a major cause of viruses’ jump from wildlife to humans is habitat loss, often through deforestation,” Christina said.
Trees also help to control the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the water cycle.
In deforested areas, there is less water in the air to be returned to the soil.
This causes drier soil and the inability to grow crops.
“The numbers are grim, but many conservationists see reasons for hope,” Christina said.
“A movement is under way to preserve existing forest ecosystems and restore lost tree cover by first reforesting (replanting trees) and ultimately rewilding (a more comprehensive mission to restore entire ecosystems).
“For consumers, it makes sense to examine the products and meats you buy, looking for sustainably produced sources when you can.”
Founder of The Little Big Bamboo, Lynbrook local Neesh, says that simple replacements can create change.
“Bamboo, as an example, is a sustainable source for loo rolls,” Neesh said.
“Bamboo [helps to] stop deforestation and save 27,000 trees per day that are used to make toilet paper and recycled toilet paper.”
