Radio Australia Today Editorial

Lifting a Finger to Save the Planet

20 June 2008

Climate Change is hitting home now.

A couple of days ago some researchers worked out that the rising sea levels caused by climate change will actually be 50% greater than previously thought. To people living in Arizona or Alice Springs, this may not be a huge concern, but it should be, because rising water levels will affect rivers and other waterways, and rising temperatures will make uncomfortably hort days stupidly hot in inland centres.

If you are not near a coast, please spare a thought for island communities arond the world. Kiribati and the Maldives are just two island nations that are threatened by rising water levels.

Did I say threatened? These nations could become swamped by the sea, and all because we chug along in our V8s, love central heating and like to fly to Florence for our holidays.

These poor people are unfairly bearing the punishment for the excesses of others.

Let’s do what we can. This is only a start, but on Saturday night (June 21) there’s a movement that started in the broadcasting industry to turn off your lights for one hour. That’s all. One hour.

It’s a matter of lifting a finger to a switch.

It doesn’t mean you have to sit in the dark. Go for a walk. Or snuggle up. Make it fun.

Even better, make it a regular thing. It was only a few decades ago that the people who advocated recycling were considered cranks. We know that in ten years we will all be conserving energy like crazy.

So let’s all do it. Lift that finger to climate change.