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The Earth hour symbolize the future of the world which will be without fossil fuels, and will be facing a severe crisis of scarcity of water, food, breathing quality air, etc. Sri Lanka is already facing these challenges.
Due to the unsustainable development drive, oil coal and gas prices will further go up resulting increase in intensity of the environmental crisis.
In Sri Lanka, if the earth hour observed each day over period of one year, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) can save a sum of Rs. 8 Billion. However it will reflect on Sri Lankan economy as a loss of 80 billion. Which is 1 % of the GDB. So if we are to safe guard our planet, economic development will have to be compromised
Therefore, it is the right time for us to rethink and reengineer our development drive in an environmentally sustainable manner. We have not seriously considered the environmental and social impacts in the modern dominant development paradigm. A radical change is needed and we need to have an integrated considering all these factors.
This will necessarily change the development parameters and if we do not do it now, the human civilization will be faced with a catastrophe, the result of which will affect not only the humans but also all living species on this beautiful planet.
We should cynically analyze the overall destruction to the Mother Nature due to this uncontrolled, un-planned and hazard development. We are now inundated with poisonous particulate material in air, and different color rain sources of which we still do not know the health impacts. The Government has to spend many more times than the benefits the development has created.
So what now we are doing is a specified profile of the future of the bleak world without fossil fuel. However, as many other problems we have no handmade solution for this, and thus, we have initiated through the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority to formulate a sustainable energy plan to achieve fossil fuel free Sri Lanka by 2030. That I think will be a pre-requisite to achieve environmentally sustainable development in our country. Minister Champika Ranawaka said at the Erath Hour Symposium today.
Mr. Andy Ridley – Executive Director & Co-founder of Earth Hour, Hon. Anura PriyadarshanaYapa – Minister of Environment, Hon. Udaya Gamanpila – Minister of Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Minor Irrigation, Industries and Environment- Western Province, Mr. Adbul Qadir Uvais – Country Manager (Earth Hour Sri Lanka),
Mr. B.M.U.D Basnayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Mr. S.T. Kodikara – Secretary to the Ministry of Environment – Western Province also attend this Earth Hour 2013 symposium today (7th) @ Lakshman Kadiragamar Institute, Colombo.
Earth Hour began in Sri Lanka in 2010, and has since gathered support from all government institutions and many private institutions. Earth Hour encourage individuals, businesses and governments to show leadership on environmental solutions through their actions, and use the Earth Hour platform to show the world how they are reducing their environmental impact.
In 2012, Sri Lankans joined hand with the global community in dialogue and efforts to save our planet with the initiative led by H.E. the President of Sri Lanka, who hosted and observed Earth Hour at his Official Residence in Kandy.
Earth Hour 2013 will take place at 8.30 pm – 9.30 pm on Saturday 23rd March
