I stumbled across this article on IOL today that starts off:
Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium will join other landmarks around the world in supporting Earth Hour 2010 when it is plunged into darkness for an hour on Saturday March 27.
The stadium will switch off its lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
Yup. A whole hour. How generous of them to turn our glorious landmark's lights off when its not in use.
This is an issue very close to the heart of our esteemed mayor Obed Mlaba, he is quoted in the article as having said:
"Climate change will affect all of us and it is the poor who will suffer the most. We have a responsibility to our people to take action that reduces climate change and to call on others to do the same.So thank you Durban. You're doing so much for the poor and for the earth by celebrating this wonderful hour of compassion. We get a whole hour.
"It is in this spirit that the eThekwini municipality will be participating in WWF's Earth Hour 2010. If we are united in our call for action and we respond collectively, we can prevent dangerous climate change."
But after that its back to having all the lights on for absolutely no reason but to draw attention to the giant piece of concrete that I suppose some people must have missed..
Sure its a very pretty piece of concrete, and I've enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere at the games played on its perfectly manicured pitch, but anyone who has driven past it at night will know that any day of the week, the constantly illuminated white basket of Moses Mabhida Studium declares her magnificent preeminence like some post modern sculpture on its massive pedestal.
So to me, in general Earth Hour seems to be a bit of farce. Like driving your Prius to the airport or using a photo voltaic solar panel to power the air conditioner. But, as a friend of mine said to me earlier, at least James Cameron will be happy.
But on that note, I really think James Cameron needs stick to ice bergs killing ships and stop focusing on people killing ice bergs..
