Every Sinner has a Future…

Although I live in a country (Finland) where WWF’s Earth Hour every year falls onto a date when it is already so light outdoors that you do not need any artificial lights, I have in my heart and in my mind celebrated Earth Hour for as long as I can recall WWF having started its campaign for spreading awareness about important topics including environmental wellbeing and the protection of animal species, which all are under some kind of threat due to human activities on this common planet that we share.

 

Each year, Earth Hour has been more of an ideology to me:

 

I do not need a separate Earth Hour, because since many years I aim to live in a way that harms the planet as little as possible.

 

That includes cutting down on “luxury” basically to a minimum level.

 

I sold my first (and probably last) car 12 years ago.

 

I have not used an airplane for more than four years. Not for business, nor privately.

 

I have made it my priority to consume more wisely, including my eating habits and the clothes I wear.

 

I only buy what I need.

 

I use as little electricity as possible.

 

I walk or bike most of the time.

 

I clean up the nature around me every day, 365 days a year.

 

To me, real luxury in life is to have awareness, and be conscious of what is taking place around me.

 

I am not saying that I will never again drive a car or fly around the world. That is something I have done already, in my past.

 

There is a saying: “Every sinner has a future, and every saint has a past”.

 

None of us is perfect. We all have our flaws and weaknesses.

 

As human beings, we all destroy the environment. We all consume too much.

 

But what makes a difference are those small everyday choices.

 

Make smarter choices.

 

You don’t have to give up on all “luxuries” in your life, but you can try to make small efforts to improve your way of living and your impact on this planet that we share together, with now around 7.5 billion other human beings, and millions of animal species that suffer from the consequences of human greed.

 

WWF’s Earth Hour is really not about turning off the lights for one hour per year.

 

It is about turning on your inner light for 8750 hours per year, and for becoming increasingly conscious of what needs to be done for the well-being of our environment.

 

Anne-Maria Yritys 29.3.2019