Why is Earth Hour So Important?

The topic of Earth Hour came up during a conversation with a friend, and to my dismay, she said she wasn't planning on participating. She couldn't see how her participation in this one event would impact our growing climate crisis. Unfortunately I hear this a lot - people getting discouraged that using travel mugs, re-usable grocery bags, or buying organic products can make a significant difference for our global environmental woes. "Don't you know that you are a dazzling jewel interwoven in Indra's Net?" is my usual reply ...

Indra's Net is a Vedic metaphor used to show how everything and everyone in the universe is tied together. In order to understand how this metaphor works, imagine a large fishnet; large enough to cover our earth and the entire universe. The net is infinite, crisscrossing into every plane of space. At each node (where the lines intersect) imagine a dazzling sparkling jewel. This jewel represents every being, tree, river and every organism in the universe. The source of light for each jewel is the reflection of light from every other jewel.

You are a magnificent jewel in this glorious net! You are connected to all things in this universe and all things are connected to you. When you chose to use a piece of scrap paper, you allow a tree to live and it's jewel continues to shine. Its light makes your jewel and all others shine a little brighter. When you chose to use a disposable single use paper plate, a tree must be cut down and destroyed. Consequently it's jewel becomes tarnished and all other jewels become dimmer.

As John Muir said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe". Don't let the media, environmental naysayers or pessimistic friends convince you that the small things don't make a difference, because it absolutely does! There aren't any small efforts, just small people who try to make you feel small by diminishing your efforts.

So on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM turn out those lights! Your jewel is so bright that you won't need them anyway.