When you think about it, most of the activities that we do outdoors would not be possible without a responsible and constant eye on the environment. That being said, it sounds just right when for the span of 60 short minutes Dubai turned off all its lights for the 2016 Earth Hour organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority for the ninth consecutive year, in line with the desire of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council for a greener Dubai.
A lot of outdoor enthusiasts always go by an adage that goes “leave nothing but footprints” and I think that it’s one great initiative that of course supports Earth Hour. So much so that the event, taking place in Bay Avenue Park in Business Bay had not only a couple of cultural events free to experience and try out, but it also has some various outdoor activities to partake in such as wall climbing, ziplining and even making your own natural milkshake by use of a pedal-powered blender!
The activities around the park ensured that there was fun to be had for everyone before the hour when they had to turn off al their lights. Queues from all over the location were lengthy with people securing free gifts – LED powered caps for a fun evening while some lighted organically made candles in hopes of a better Earth in the future. Around the vicinity, buildings; apartments and offices followed suit to the festivities.
When the time to come for everyone to shut off their lights occurred, it was met a first with a silence as well as enthusiasm among the crowd. Shockingly, the LED caps came to good use when all of a sudden, the park came to another life with the use of black light and all of sudden the participant’s caps came to have a fluorescent glow on them. Of course that doesn’t defeat the purpose of the event as the act of turning on unnecessary light saw a 222MWh reduction in the consumption of electricity and as well as a 96-tonne reduction of carbon dioxide emissions – effectively reducing the emirate’s carbon footprint. Quite a big number for a short span of time!
What was surprising was the participation of nearby buildings as well including the Burj Khalifa. For that evening, the tallest building in the world fell dark in support of a cleaner and brighter future for everyone. Amidst the lights shutting off, a small walkathon around the area took place and it saw a couple of neon clad runners in varying colors walking along the vicinity looking like some beacons of the future. On the venue itself, some lightshows and intermission numbers took place all with the help of LEDs.
Also present in the event were displays from DEWA of the new solar panels that will be used to a greener Dubai. This is in line with HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s ideals for alternative energy, a move that will put Dubai as one of the first adopting massive use of green energy.
In relation to the outdoors, of course this is great because now we can live in city that is aware of its impact in the world and also it supports our personal belief of leaving nothing but footprints whilst we are in the mountains or in the seas.
So think about it, we wouldn’t have the outdoors we enjoy in if we didn’t do our part to save the planet. And it’s only for 60 minutes of your time. Therefore, next time, shut off the lights and turn on your mind for a cleaner and brighter world that future generations could enjoy as much as we do now.
Photos By: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
